The fascinating story of the rise to power of dictator Benito Mussolini (1883-1945) in Italy in 1922 and how fascism marked the fate of the entire world in the dark years to come.
Direction
Cousins' signature associative editing—Mussolini meets Trump meets cinema itself.
Editing
Jarring juxtapositions that force you to connect then and now.
Cinematography
Alba Rohrwacher's phantom presence haunts the archival footage.
Director
Mark Cousins
Mark Cousins
Self - Narrator (voice)
Alba Rohrwacher
Anna
Donald Trump
Self - Politician (archive footage)
Adolf Hitler
Self - Politician (archive footage)
Benito Mussolini
Self - Politician (archive footage)
King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Self (archive footage)
Gabriele D'Annunzio
Self - Writer (archive footage)
Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia
Self (archive footage)
Francisco Franco
Self - Politician (archive footage)
Rudolf Hess
Self - Politician (archive footage)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Cousins made this during COVID lockdown, shooting Rohrwacher through a window—hence her spectral, disconnected presence.
The film's most chilling move: using Mussolini's own beloved cinema techniques against him, a formalist revenge.
No ratings yet
Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.
Discussion starters
IT
