In1959,intheprisonofSantoStefano,locatedonanItalianisland,BrunoD'Assisi,thejustarrivednewdirector,triestomakeisbesttoimproveprisoners'lifeconditions,withthehelpofsomeoftheprisonguards.WitnessofhiseffortsisAntonio,thetwelveyearsoldsonofBrunowhodevelopsadeepfriendshipwithNicola,aliferBrunotrustsverymuch.Butafterjustoneyearthesituationbecomesmoreandmorecomplicated,andwhenBrunocomesbackontheislandafterashotvacation,findsthingshaveradicallychanged,becomingevenworstoftheonesheoriginallyfoundwhenhearrivedatSantoStefanothefirsttime.He'salsoconsideredresponsiblewhenNicolaescapesfromtheprison