''Kif Tebbi'' is a 1928 Italian silent

war film War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about naval, air, or land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle scenes means that war fi ...

directed by

Mario Camerini Mario Camerini (6 February 1895 – 4 February 1981) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. The cousin of Augusto Genina, he made the most well-known films in Italy during the 1930s, most of them comedies starring Vittorio De Sica. H ...

. The film portrays the

Italo-Turkish War The Italo-Turkish or Turco-Italian War ( tr, Trablusgarp Savaşı, "Tripolitanian War", it, Guerra di Libia, "War of Libya") was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Ottoman Empire from 29 September 1911, to 18 October 1912. As a result o ...

. A young Italian-educated

Libyan Demographics of Libya is the demography of Libya, specifically covering population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, and religious affiliations, as well as other aspects of the Libyan population. The ...

nobleman is summoned to fight for the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

when war breaks out in 1911, but eventually decides to change sides and support Italy.

Production

The film promoted the Italian

Fascist Fascism is a far-right, Authoritarianism, authoritarian, ultranationalism, ultra-nationalist political Political ideology, ideology and Political movement, movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and pol ...

regime's imperial policies in

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...

and in wider

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

. While privately funded (although the government supported its production) the film foreshadowed future collaborations between the film industry and the Italian state.Ben-Ghiat p.75

Cast

* Donatella Neri as Mne *

Carlo Benetti Carlo Benetti (1885–1949) was an Italian film actor of the silent era.Goble p.125 During the sound era he worked as Unit production manager, production manager on a number of films. Selected filmography * ''Assunta Spina (1915 film), Assunta Sp ...

Piero Carnabuci Piero Carnabuci (6 September 1893 – 13 February 1958) was an Italian stage and film actor. Life and career Born in Santa Teresa di Riva, Messina, after the World War I Carnabuci decided to abandon his engineering studies at the University of ...

as Mabruk El Gadi *

Nini Dinelli Nini may refer to: Geography * Nini River, Ghana * Nini Suhien National Park, Ghana Film and television * '' Ninì Tirabusciò: la donna che inventò la mossa'', an Italian comedy film * ''Nini's Treehouse'', a children's television series * Nini ...

as Rasim Ben Abdalla * Ugo Gracci as Taleb * Paolo Orsini *

Alberto Pasquali Alberto Pasquali (1882–1929) was an Italian stage and film actor of the silent era.Paietta p.58 Selected filmography * ''Christus'' (1916) * '' Redemption'' (1919) * '' Pleasure Train'' (1924) * ''Latest Night News'' (1924) * '' The Passion of ...

as Uff. Degli Zaptie *

Enrico Scatizzi Enrico is both an Italian masculine given name and a surname, Enrico means homeowner, or king, derived from ''Heinrich'' of Germanic origin. It is also a given name in Ladino. Equivalents in other languages are Henry (English), Henri ( French), Enr ...

as Comandante Turchi *

Marcello Spada Marcello Spada (1905–1995) was an Italian film actor.Ben-Ghiat p.31 He appeared in a dozen films, often in the leading role, between 1928 and 1937. After retiring from cinema he later became a doctor. Selected filmography * ''Kif Tebbi'' (1928) ...

as Ismail *

Raimondo Van Riel Raimondo Van Riel (22 January 1881, in Rome – 9 May 1962, in Mentana) was an Italian actor. Raimondo Van Riel was born on January 22, 1881, in Rome, Lazio, Italy. He is known for his work on Quo Vadis? (1924), The Magnificent Rogue (1935) and ...

Gino Viotti Gino Viotti (1875–1951) was an Italian film actor who appeared in more than forty films, mostly in supporting roles. He played the part of Chilone Chilonides in the 1924 epic ''Quo Vadis''.Wyke p.214 Selected filmography * '' Nemesis'' (1920) * ...

as Ajad Padre Di Ismail *

Renato Visca Renatus is a first name of Latin origin which means " born again" (natus = born). In Italian, Portuguese and Spanish it exists in masculine and feminine forms: Renato and Renata. In French they have been translated to René and Renée. Renata is ...

as Fratello Ismail

References

Bibliography

Ben-Ghiat, Ruth Ruth Ben-Ghiat is an American historian and cultural critic. She is a scholar on fascism and authoritarian leaders. Ben-Ghiat is professor of history and Italian studies at New York University. Biography Born in the United States to an Israeli ...

. ''Fascist Modernities: Italy, 1922-1945''. University of California Press, 2004. * Del Boca, Angelo. ''Mohamed Fekini and the Fight to Free Libya''. Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.

External links

* 1920s war drama films Italian war drama films Italian silent feature films 1920s Italian-language films Films directed by Mario Camerini Films set in the 1910s Films set in Libya Italian black-and-white films 1928 drama films 1928 films Silent drama films Silent war films 1920s Italian films {{war-drama-film-stub