The British consul in Florence has just lost his wife. He shares the news with his eldest son, Andrew, but chooses to hide the truth from the youngest, Miles. The two brothers are divided by their father’s attitude: while he shows all his tenderness to fragile Miles, the consul abandons Andrew.

At times neglected by their adult guardians, the emotional inner world of children is masterfully portrayed in Luigi Comencini’s tender family drama, in which melancholy and innocence entwine. Gone is the sweet oblivion of childhood, as grief compels a sensitive young boy to mature beyond his years.