Episodes with subtitles

Episode 1 – #The return of someone he knew

Fernando, a taxi driver who wants to be a film director and screenwriter, receives a call from his agent, who suggests that he shoot a documentary about a family struggling with a severe illness. Meanwhile Carlo, the patient, while in the car with his wife Linda and his son Lorenzo, has signs of respiratory distress. He realizes that his lung cancer, that had been diagnosed three years ago, is making its way back. Fernando’s cast and Carlo’s family arrive at the same time at the villa where the family lives.

Episode 2 – #All one big (not) happy family

The cast made up of unlikely actors, i.e. Bruno (mechanic), Nadia (beautician) and Maurizio (bartender), chosen by the director Fernando, take possession of the house where Carlo’s family lives and begin to arrange the equipment. However Lorenzo, Carlo’s son with directorial aspirations, immediately makes it clear that he will lead the set. Nadia accompanies Carlo for a visit to the oncologist replacing Linda, his wife. On the way there, Nadia reveals to Carlo that her aunt, a smoker, was also struck by lung cancer. Carlo points out that he has never touched a cigarette and that the disease does not only affect smokers.

Episode 3 – #To be positive

Carlo, accompanied by Nadia, meets the oncologist, who confirms a relapse with bone and brain metastases. The disease is not operable, but molecular tests will be performed to evaluate the best therapeutic strategy. Meanwhile, filming begins in the villa and the difficulties that the family has faced as a result of the disease come up.

Episode 4 – #An unexpected support

While running in the park with Bruno, Carlo can no longer control his legs and must stop. He recovers, but is very worried about not being able to attend an important meeting. Bruno offers to replace him and while he prepares himself he lights up a cigarette. Linda catches him and reminds him that every year, out of 41,500 new cases of lung cancer, at least 85% concern smokers. Bruno throws away the cigarette.

Episode 5 – #Memory lapses

The meeting in which Bruno replaced Carlo was successful and he decides to celebrate with a nice dinner. While at the table, Carlo quietly asks Nadia to show him the bathroom, because he can’t remember where it is. Everyone looks at him worried. To play it down, Fernando proposes to go out and have some ice cream, but Carlo is now more attentive about his diet and would rather avoid it. As a counterproposal, Fernando encourages everyone to go out in the garden and watch the falling stars. The protagonists are lying on the grass, relaxed and happy. All of a sudden, however, Carlo starts to shake, it’s an epileptic seizure.

Episode 6 – #Family

Carlo wakes up in the hospital surrounded by his family and the full cast. Moved, he starts a long speech explaining that the disease nearly destroyed the only thing that matters: the relationships with the people he loves. The oncologist reassures everyone about Carlo’s condition: the epileptic episode has been taken care of, but to start the therapy it will be necessary to wait for the results of the molecular tests. Carlo is very happy about this because then he can take everyone on a holiday.

Episode 7 – #A chance

After returning from the holiday, Carlo receives a phone call from the oncologist who asks him to go to the hospital. This time he is accompanied by his family and the whole cast. There is some good news: Carlo can start a very effective innovative therapy.

 

Episode 8 – #To change

Carlo is back at work. Meanwhile, the crew continues to shoot and Nadia talks to Linda to fine-tune her performance. From their conversation the communication difficulties that the couple has come up, even with regards to the illness. After this confession Linda decides to contribute in dinner preparations in order to celebrate Carlo’s return to work.

Episode 9 – #Group therapy

Linda confides in Bruno in front of a glass of wine: the therapy that Carlo is following has few side effects and she is astonished to the point of being afraid, wrongly, that it’s not working. At the end of the day’s shoot, Carlo invites everyone into the living room and reveals that he has begun the sessions with the psycho-oncologist. An essential element of the therapy is to open up to the whole family and the people who are close.

Episode 10 – #To be unhappy is a bad habit

Several months have passed. All the cast members have returned to their daily lives. One day, director and actors receive, at the same time, a video message from Carlo. Everything suggests a farewell message recorded in the hospital. In the last scene, the family and the cast meet again in the villa to watch the documentary. One person is missing.