Italia. Il fuoco, la cenere

Even as a cinephile and film student, I had never heard of Italian silent films before. "Italia - Fire and Ashes" gives the chance to viewers to discover this unsung and beautiful genre. What an amazing opportunity to witness on screen, for the first time, these actors and directors who once inspired the greats like Fellini. What a pleasant surprise, moreover, to learn about people like Elvira Notari, the VERY FIRST female director in Italian cinema, because yes, women were already making movies in 1900s Italy ! With most Italian silent films having been lost, burned or destroyed by the Nazis, "Italia" does justice to a long-buried era, bringing to light, and to life, the remains of an institution.