The presence of Soviet cinema in Italy during the Fascist period provoked polarized attitudes: on the one hand it was seen as posing a very real ideological threat; on the other, it was considered to be a positive import that could bring cultural, industrial and political benefits. These contrasting reactions were, as this chapter demonstrates, entwined within a complex interplay of activities relating to both translation and censorship. The Fascist period, from the late 1920s to the early 1940s, was also an era in which Italians were striving to rebuild their national film industry. This led to extensive discussions relating to the type of film which should be made in Italy, together with plans to re-establish an international reputation as a successful film-producing country. These discussions focussed on a variety of exigencies, from artistic concerns, to more organizational considerations, to far more overtly politically oriented debates. Throughout, Soviet cinema, or rather Italian perceptions of Soviet cinema, would repeatedly be used as a point of reference.