A touching story of an Italian book seller of Jewish ancestry who lives in his own little fairy tale. His creative and happy life would come to an abrupt halt when his entire family is deported to a concentration camp during World War II. While locked up he tries to convince his son that the whole...
7 segments about life in 1990s Italy: two MPs from the opposite sides of the political spectrum spend the night together; during their honeymoon, a woman cheats on her husband with her favorite soap opera star; a married man pretends to be ill to seduce his younger nurse; a family discovers that...
Four tales unfold in the Eternal City: While vacationing in Rome, architect John encounters a young man whose romantic woes remind him of a painful incident from his own youth; retired opera director Jerry discovers a mortician with an amazing voice, and he seizes the opportunity to rejuvenate his...
Four lighthearted stories set in the idyllic Italian countryside: an old grouch is befriended by a stray dog; a lonely widow spies on her newly-wed son and daughter-in-law; a German tourist tries to seduce a younger nurse. The fourth segment was cut in the US by its distributor Miramax.
In the 15th century, in a poor Italian village, the monks of a modest convent take up an abandoned baby. Unfortunately, for all their efforts, they prove unable to trace his parents. So they set up providing tender loving care to the little boy. Marcellino lives a happy life among the men of God...
Angelo Roncalli, born in Sotto Il Monte in 1881, is known for his profound spirituality as well as his extraordinary goodness from the young years of his life. When he feels a need to serve God, Angelo goes to study theology in Bergamo, and in Apollinare School (Rome) and becomes a priest. During...
Martino, a young entomologist in a sentimental crisis, returns to Rome to find his beloved uncle. As soon as he arrives, his uncle asks him to babysit the daughter of some friends. Once arrived at Linda's home, the little girl, Martino finds out that along with her there is also Lulù, her...
London-based Italian Antonio bets on everything, from the lottery to horses and soccer matches without ever winning or losing the hope of winning; so convinced that his luck is going to turn that his betting companions have started to call him "Win tomorrow". One day Antonio notices that he's being...
A famous collector dies suddenly in Florence in strange circumstances. His wife, the only heir of an immense wealth, has a unpleasant surprise: the husband, a few days before his death, had spent 20 million dollars to buy a building in the heart of the Tuscan city. Why didn't he say anything to...
The different faces of love provide the theme for this beautifully photographed film comprised of four short episodes. In the first story, two sisters head out for a New Year's Eve celebration and end up getting a ride with a car full of boys. The lads rape one of the girls, and strangely, the...
1918, shortly before the end of the Great War, an Austrian soldier passes the barrier of the Italian lines and escapes. He is very young, alone, scared. During his journey in that enemy land, so similar to his own, the thoughts of the terrible experience on the front alternate with childhood...
