Contrary to its initial purpose of eliminating corruption that plagued post-World War I Italy, fascism actually went in the opposite direction. By deliberately “falsifying” archival material to give shape and life to the characters, the film presents four of the most emblematic and lively stories that depict how Italy, even during the twenty-year fascist regime, confirmed its inclination towards corruption.
A highly valued and prestigious general with an uncontrollable passion for private property; a film production company that puts Italian cinema in the spotlight worldwide but is rooted in an extensive network of business ventures profiting from supplies to East Africa; the adventurous life of the leader of the commando that assassinated Giacomo Matteotti, enabling him to blackmail Mussolini throughout the entire regime; and the widespread corruption in Milan during the 1920s, which, under the relentless pressure of Farinacci, forces Mussolini to abruptly remove the Podestà and the Federal Secretary.

“Mussolini never did this” is the posthumous film by Felice Farina (1954-2023), one of the most original and eclectic figures in our independent cinema.”