We Can Do That (2008) Spoiler-Free Summary – What It's About

In the early 1980s Milan, a wave of social experiment follows the closure of Italy’s state psychiatric hospitals. The city is dotted with cooperatives that aim to give former patients a foothold in ordinary life, and the newly appointed head of one such workshop, Nello, arrives with a blend of activist zeal and economic ambition. Fresh from the trade‑union world, he carries a conviction that healing can be found not in sedation but in purposeful work, and he sets out to reshape the collective’s identity from a place of passive care to an arena of creative production.

The cooperative’s members, each bearing the scars of institutionalization, are encouraged to voice their ideas and assume roles that match their temperaments. Under Nello’s guidance, the group begins to explore market‑oriented projects, discovering a tentative pride in craftsmanship that had long been denied them. The atmosphere hums with a mixture of uncertainty and optimism, as the workshop’s assembly debates how far to push the boundaries between therapy and entrepreneurship.

Tension surfaces in the form of institutional expectations and medical conservatism. Dr. Del Vecchio, the resident physician, represents a cautious approach to treatment, while Dr. Furlan offers a more progressive perspective, hinting at possibilities that stretch beyond the cooperative’s modest walls. The personal lives of the participants—marked by budding friendships, quiet romances, and familial strains—intertwine with the collective’s struggle, creating a tapestry of human connection that feels both intimate and emblematic of larger societal shifts.

The film maintains a tone that balances gritty realism with moments of off‑beat humor, capturing the raw energy of a community in transition. It invites viewers to wonder whether empowerment through work can truly rewrite the narratives of those long left on the margins, and it leaves the future of the cooperative suspended in a state of hopeful anticipation.