Milan, Italy, 1967. Santo Russo, a boy of Calabrian origin, arrives north with his parents and younger brother to find better living conditions. Due to an absurd misunderstanding and his father's contempt, Santo ends up in prison, where he gets a “true education.” In 1978, he and his friends Slim and Mario embark on a 15-year criminal career, a successful and ruthless spiral of robberies, kidnappings, murders and heroin smuggling.

Sigonella unravels the Achille Lauro hijacking and the standoff that led Italy to defy the U.S. Through firsthand accounts and dynamic visuals, it captures a tense mix of espionage and politics, echoing today's geopolitical struggles.