The Story

1941, Rome. Ida is a teacher who hides her Jewish origins and lives with her son Nino. Following a rape suffered by a German soldier, she becomes pregnant with a child: Useppe.

Returning home, Nino establishes a very strong bond with Useppe but, despite this, he leaves the family and enlists as a volunteer. But the war will shock everyone with death and destruction.

Ida and Useppe evacuate to Pietralata where they meet Cucchiarelli and the Mille family. Nino joined the partisan fight and, once he found his family, he involved Cucchiarelli.

Nino takes Useppe to the partisan base: here he meets Mariulì, his girlfriend. The situation in Pietralata is tense: the Germans are increasingly ferocious against the Italians considered traitors.

The Nazi occupation starves the city and Ida wanders around Rome looking for food for Useppe. The Germans finally escape, everyone returns from the front, but Ida's suffering is not over.

Nino returns from the war, once again transformed, while Ida starts school again. The family rents a house in Testaccio hoping that life will be as happy as it once was.

Useppe is ill, he inherited epilepsy from his mother and his illness is not compatible with the child's character. A new tragedy strikes the family: Nino is involved in an accident.

Useppe runs away with Bella and meets old and new friends. However, his illness is pressing and the child seems to have an indelible pain inside him caused by the war and the losses.