A lyrical and visionary journey into the origins of Italian silent cinema, Italia - Fire and Ashes (Italia. Il fuoco, la cenere) revisits the dazzling artistry and industry that shaped the first generation of international stars, filmmakers, and genres. In it's world of brisk action and romantic delirium, the Italian cinema enjoyed worldwide popularity, inspiring artists and audiences in the medium's infancy. The protagonists of Italia - Fire and Ashes are male and female directors, actors and actresses, technicians and critics who contributed to the exuberant originality of that cinema. Narrated by the voice of Isabella Rossellini, Italia awakens the stunning archive footage through the original words of those who contributed to that aesthetic and cultural revolution. An art dedicated to the sublime, to sophistication and to death: an era of splendor and the history of a country that would soon fall into the abyss of Fascism, from the ashes of which will be reborn one of the greatest cinemas in the world.