In Sicily, in a time not yet forgotten, in the heart of a small secluded town populated by cicadas, ticks and venomous snakes, that which made a man a real man was not riches or power, but his honor. He had to defend his dignity against insults and village gossip. It took little to stoke the fire once lit, and no one was immune. One of the worst humiliations a man can suffer was to have an adulterous wife. A man so disgraced would bear the mark of shame, with all eyes of the community upon him. It was said that "his horns were sticking out" for all to see.

Two Sicilian friends, Nunzio and Pino, share the same apartment in Turin. Nunzio works in a factory but is laid off because of his illness. Pino, on the other hand, is a mysterious man and he is always traveling because of his work. Nunzio would very much like to know what his friend is doing for a living but Pino will not tell him. Nunzio spends his free time the best he can in his friend's absences. He ends up falling in love with Maria, a commercial employee, whereas his health condition deteriorates...

The adventures and deceptions of a photographer who travels through small villages of 1950s Sicily pretending to work for the big film studios in Rome.