The blossoming young love between two teenagers is brutally disrupted by retreating Nazi soldiers who occupy their small village in rural Italy.

In a small town in southern Italy lives the Di Gennaro family. Gennaro, the householder, is a noted dentist, married to Anna, a housewife, a few years away from converting to Buddhism. They have two sons: Roberto, last year medical student and guitarist in a small band, and Mattia who attended the first year of high school. The Di Gennaros appear to be a perfect family, but each character hides flaws and excesses.