The Stolen Children

Authorities raid the home; the mother and a client are arrested. The children Rosetta and Luciano learn of their looming fate to be sent to a Catholic orphanage in Civitavecchia. Two carabinieri, rookie Antonio and veteran Grignani, are assigned to escort them by train, but Grignani exits the mission in Bologna, leaving Antonio to proceed alone.

With Grignani gone in Bologna, Antonio must take charge of escorting the children by himself. The kids are unruly, and Luciano is pale and quiet, while Rosetta is cynical and manipulative. Antonio struggles to maintain order and keep the mission moving toward the destination.

At the Catholic orphanage in Civitavecchia, the priest refuses to take the children because Rosetta's medical record is missing. Antonio suspects prejudice against Rosetta's past as a prostitute. He realizes the system may not be willing to help, and the plan to place them here is falling apart.

Antonio calls Grignani for instructions, but the older man offers no help and avoids accountability. Frustrated, Antonio decides to take matters into his own hands and relocate the children to Sicily. This bold plan marks a turning point from duty-bound escort to paternal-protective intent.

On the way to the train station, Luciano suffers an asthma attack, derailing their schedule and causing them to miss the train. They end up spending a tense night at the bachelor pad of a Carabiniere acquaintance. The trio's fragile plan begins to unravel as fatigue and fear set in.

After a long train and coach journey, they arrive at Antonio's sister's home in Calabria, which doubles as a restaurant. The family is hosting a young girl's First Communion, adding a festive backdrop to the tense voyage. Antonio tells everyone the children are relatives of a superior, trying to blend in with the relatives.

Rosetta receives a stylish dress and socializes with the other girls, while Luciano is befriended by Antonio's grandmother, who gives him a photo of a younger Antonio in a Zorro costume. The children momentarily enjoy normalcy and warmth. This respite deepens the bond between Antonio and the siblings.

A guest recognizes Rosetta from a tabloid article and reveals her background to the guests. Rosetta is humiliated and runs from the house in tears. Antonio chases after her, offering comfort and reassurance, and begins to see her as a person beyond the scandal.

Seeing the need to act, Antonio decides to remove Rosetta and Luciano from the scene and drives them to the ferry terminal at the Strait of Messina. He has acquired an old Fiat 128 and intends to relocate them to Sicily. The journey resumes, but the path remains perilous and uncertain.

During the ferry crossing, Antonio speaks with Luciano, and they take a detour to a cheap hotel near Marina di Ragusa, where he rents two adjoining rooms. The temporary lodging provides a rare moment of privacy and stability for the trio. Tension threads through the air as decisions about their future weigh on them.

The next day, they visit the beach where Antonio teaches Luciano to swim, strengthening their bond. Two young French women befriend Rosetta, adding a glimmer of normalcy and potential romance in their otherwise grim voyage. The sea becomes a backdrop for fragile trust forming between them.

The group heads to Noto to visit the Cathedral where a tourist lends Rosetta a camera, which is soon snatched by a thief. Antonio chases and captures the thief, handing him over to the Carabinieri station. The incident exposes the group's vulnerable status to outsiders.

Inside the Carabiniere station, a tourist discusses the children's background in blunt terms, and Rosetta overhears the word prostitute. Her demeanor shifts from friendly to distant, and Antonio faces accusations of kidnapping and abusing the children and of failing to follow orders. He is stripped of his warrant card and kept for court martial before being released after hours.

Driving toward Gela, Antonio is desolate about his career and how the system treats him. The car stops at an abandoned block where the children sleep after a long, exhausting journey. The fragile trio end up spending the night in the car as dawn approaches.

At first light, the children wake and sit together on the roadside, discussing their future in the orphanage. The event closes on a note of quiet resilience and ambiguous hope as they prepare for whatever comes next. The bonds with Antonio have shifted from duty to genuine care.