Adelaide Foti

After an architect (Fabrizio Bentivoglio) is invited to the home of his associate, the harmony of the place comes undone with the visitor's attraction to someone.

1943, an estate north of Firenze. The weight of the world is on the shoulders of Penny, who's about 10. An orphan, she must watch over her little sister when they go to live with her aunt and uncle. Penny's a Catholic, and worries about her uncle's soul. He's Jewish, progressive and a free thinker, a fair boss, and devoted to his family. He can be stern, so Penny also worries that she'll never please him and that he won't love her. Then, after the Allied forces land in Sicily and the Germans begin their retreat, Penny must worry about her uncle's life. She tries logic and appeals to human decency. Can a child keep the sky from falling?

Don Milani is ill, and his illness has left him with little time left to live. He returns to his parish in Barbiana and reflects on the events that have shaped his life’s journey—from the founding of the school in San Donato di Calenzano, to his teaching experience with the farmers’ children in Barbiana, to the fame and debates surrounding his methods, and finally to the writing of “Letter to a Teacher.” The backdrop is postwar Italy during the years of reconstruction, marked by social disparities and the rift between the Church and society.