Pater Familias plot
After ten years in prison, thirty-year-old Matteo is allowed to go home for a day to say goodbye to his dying father. A series of flashbacks shows not only why Matteo is in prison, but also what happened to the youth gang he used to hang out with. It soon becomes apparent that his four friends have died and that prison has saved him from certain death. One of the few survivors from the past is his girlfriend Rosa, who leads a loveless life in an unhappy marriage. Matteo wants to use the few hours of freedom he has left to do something for Rosa and her daughter.