Is it acceptable to show the two major dictators of the twentieth century as people? No, it is not acceptable – it is essential, in order to understand the history of the 20th century. A tragic friendship between two competing men sealed the fate of nations. How did it come to this?

They both had leading roles on the stage of world history – the “Führer” and the “Duce”. They became the most photographed and most filmed politicians of their time. And still today, each of them is the subject of countless films and documentaries. But this is the first time that their relationship is portrayed and analysed. Would Hitler’s rise to power have been possible without the historical model of fascism in Italy, without the “Duce” as a model of a “mainstream” dictator? How would Mussolini’s imperial adventure have turned out without the diabolic involvement with his axis partner? Thousands of rolls of films in German and Italian archives with and about them have just been discovered. The stories behind these two heads of state are brought to life through the powerful cinematographic documents. They started out as strangers and rivals, then student and master, soon allies and partners-in-crime, in the end warlord and vassal. Two men who rose to power with the desire to restore their respective country to ancient glory instead lead them straight to abyss. “Hitler and Mussolini” is a historical epic with numerous original settings, places of triumph and defeat, with landscapes that have become part of history, told in opulent images and impressions.