When her social-climbing father is relocated from small-town North to his native Rome, 12-year-old Caterina enrolls to his old school, finding herself at sea with an environment where students sort themselves by social class and their parents' political affiliation.

After the 8th September 1943 north of Italy is occupied by Germans. Italian army collapsed and the soldiers are escaped to the mountains trying to set up a resistance. Many civilians did the same and Johnny, an English literature student, is among them. Johnny avoids to band together the red partisans (communists) and tries to be part of the azure bands (former regular soldiers). But in both cases he is deluded by the partisan bands and discovers that the partisan war is less poetic and genuine that he thought. At one point anyway the partisans free Alba from Germans. When the city falls again in German hands Johnny escape with Ettore and Pierre. But, one after another, German army and Italian fascists captures the partisans and Johnny will pass the winter alone and isolated. He then finds the way to participate to one of the last attack to occupants, in fact the war will be over two months later.

This is the story of Rosario and Matteo, two man from Southern Italy. Rosario is helped by Luigi to settle in the north. Luigi wants to give Rosario a chance to redeem himself and offer him, at the same time, an opportunity to confront his beliefs with the ones of his son Matteo. Rosario lives in a "commune" and Matteo in a beautiful, comfortable house. They're both introverted and shy and find a common ground: they meet, go out together, become friends and show each other a completely different way of living their lives as teenagers.

At 19, David has his diploma (the first in his family), a job at a car wash, and little else. His family is broke and argues constantly. So, unannounced, David leaves Turin for his uncle's farm in Polesine. Here he learns many life lessons over the course of a summer while hanging out with Bosnian drug dealer Alem and Patrizia, an older woman who's an addict.

When young cop Andrea is assigned to keep watch over dangerous Godfather Sante, who's in hospital after a fake suicide attempt, the stage is set for disaster.