Studying to become a teacher in 1950s Northern Italy, Sicilian immigrant Pietro is joined by his big brother Giovanni. Pietro shows considerable promise in his field, prompting illiterate Giovanni to take on even the toughest jobs in order to support his sibling's academic pursuits.

As in an endless sequence shot, the stories of some friends intertwine: Paolo is a writer who can't finish his novel due to perfectionism, Maria, his girlfriend, feels neglected and enters the circle of "protégés" of a schoolmate of Paolo, Francesco. Michela, a friend of Maria, falls in love with Marco while Paolo's father meets with Petra, a high-class prostitute.

Merano detective Andreas Mitterer already has enough problems – the last thing he needs is the "new partner" his superior, Giuseppe Malatesta, has chosen for him. The latter, however, has only the best of intentions, as Mitterer has been traumatized since the accidental death of his wife three years ago, a fact that hasn't gone unnoticed by the rest of his team: forensic pathologist Eva Rossi, forensic investigator Chiara Felice, and team assistant Giuliana Pucci.