The Raffle

A wealthy widow who must secure her daughter Giulia’s future after discovering her late husband Maurizio’s betrayals. With no immediate employment prospects, she orchestrates a high-stakes raffle that could buy her family time and stability. Her pragmatism masks a willingness to gamble personal happiness against financial necessity.

Francesca’s young daughter, kept in a private school while her mother confronts debts and social scrutiny. Giulia represents the stakes of the raffle, a symbol of innocence caught between parental choices and adult schemes. Her future is the quiet motivation that drives Francesca’s risky plan.

Francesca’s lawyer friend who devises the raffle and helps convert her peril into a financial proposition. He buys the boat—one of the prizes—and supports the scheme with a mix of legal savvy and personal loyalty. His role blurs ethical lines as money talks and arrangements are made.

A penniless young man who becomes Francesca’s lover, professing love while quietly aiming to profit from the raffle’s prize. His charm masks a calculating intent to extract the money for himself. He tests Francesca’s resolve with seductive fidelity and opportunistic manipulation.

Francesca’s late husband, whose betrayals and debts set the whole plot in motion. His actions leave Francesca with a mountain of obligations and a future that must be bought back. He acts as the catalyst for the present crisis, long gone but not forgotten.

The official who becomes aware of the raffle and the associated legal risk. He initiates the inquiry that could threaten Francesca’s plan and tests how far the town will go to protect reputations. His involvement grounds the story in legal scrutiny and public morality.

The local authority who ultimately accepts Francesca’s explanation to avoid a scandal, balancing public interest with private realities. He represents a pragmatic adjudicator who can bend rules when faced with social pressure. His decision resolves the immediate crisis and leaves the raffle’s truth unresolved.