L’Eta del Ferro II (1964) Roberto Rossellini (french version)

His goal in this five-part series is nothing less than a comprehensive overview of the entire Iron Age from the time of the Etruscans to the present day. Most of the early segments are devoted to the progressive refinement of iron implements and weapons, as we move from the earliest inhabitants of the Italian peninsula through the Roman era, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the eighteenth century, and the Industrial Revolution, finally coming to rest at an iron factory at Piombino during World War II. In the fourth episode, Rossellini boldly and imaginatively transforms his documentary into a fictionalized account of one metalworker’s dealings with the Nazis and the Resistance. The final segment examines the present reality and the future promise of our technological society. (Roberto Rossellini - Peter Brunette/1996)