The story centers around three characters who are brought together through the common human need to survive. Francesco (Franco Citti) and Giovanni (Ninetto Davoli) first meet at a garbage can, fending off a hungry dog for the scraps of food inside. The two men become friends, and soon get thrown in jail for causing a traffic snarl as they look up at the sky. Once in jail, however, they get to know the “upper crust” Maestro (Roberto Benigni) who cops his meals by walking into good restaurants dressed to the hilt and leaving without paying the bill. The three hook up as pals, and the story continues as their adventures take them out into the world again, giving the audience a chance to see society’s role in the larger issue of hunger. —http://www.fandango.com/ilminestrone_v157013/plotsummary
Sergio Citti (30 May 1933 – 11 October 2005) was an Italian film director and screenwriter, born in Rome. He often worked with Pier Paolo Pasolini, but also worked for others such as Ettore Scola. His own films include We Free Kings, which won an award.
His 1981 film Il minestrone was entered into the 31st Berlin International Film Festival.His 1977 film Beach House was shown as part of a retrospective on Italian comedy at the 67th Venice International Film Festival.
He was the brother of actor Franco Citti. —Wikipedia