Mario (Alessio Boni) and Nicola (Luigi Lo Cascio) are two close brothers, but Mario, who loves poetry, failed the exam because he disagreed with the professor. On the contrary, Nicola's performance won the praise of the medical professor and got a high score. Several of their friends agreed to go on a graduation trip, but Mario brought another uninvited guest - Zozhen (Jasmine Trinca), an injured girl he rescued from a mental hospital. So the brothers decided to accompany her to find her relatives. In the midst of the revolutionary torrent, Mario gave up his pen and chose to be a policeman, while Nicola wandered in a foreign land and became a psychiatrist. The flood in Florence reunited the brothers. At this time, Nicola had become a couple with the pianist Julian. Mario fell in love with the photographer Mirella at first sight. Their relationship is also tested by social turmoil... This six-hour film reflects the great social changes in Italy from 1966 to 2000 by telling the joys and sorrows of an Italian family.