Edoardo Romano
Bologna 1938 - Michele Casali (Silvio Orlando) is living a desperate situation: Giovanna (Alba Rohrwacher), his only child, a teenager, has killed out of jealousy his classmate and best friend. Within the middle-class environment in which the crime has ocurred, the story provokes strong emotion and disbelief. Avoiding jail, she is determined to be mentally disturbed and therefore locked up in a psychiatric hospital in Reggio Emilia where she remains until the age of 24 years (1945). During this period of almost total isolation, the only person who takes care of her is the father who moves from Bologna specifically, where he taught art in high school Galvani, to Reggio.
A mentally ill man's life suddenly changes with the arrival of a letter from his brother's widow.
17 years after Regalo di Natale the same 5 players for a new challenge. Who can trust who?
The Pope's tailor sends his son, a virgin at 35, to Bologna hoping he will find a woman. Nello, a classicist moved by the romantic poetry of Ovid, proves to be a good teacher and also falls hopelessly in love with the beautiful Angela Gardini. Angela, herself recently blind and then spurned by her fiancé, uses Nello: she hopes her former lover will become jealous and return to her. Nello obliges, his head full of poetry and in love at last; he's happy to be near her, knowing that she, before her disability, wouldn't have looked twice at him. Bologna or Rome, teaching or stitching, love or solitude - will Nello make choices?
Sicilia 1943, after the landing, between the invading Us army and the defender Italian army, a 2000 years old roman bridge resist to all kind of attacks. Both the army decides to definitively destroy it before the opponent does. But to the chaotic mad American platoon is opposed an Italian military band exchanged for a terrible special commando. Probably the bridge will survive another 2000 years!
