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Working Slowly (Radio Alice) (2004) movie poster

Timeline

Working Slowly (Radio Alice) (2004) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2004 · 111 mins · Italian
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Directed by
Guido Chiesa
Starring
Federico Torre, Claudia Pandolfi, Antonio Petrocelli, Valerio Mastandrea, Giorgio Colangeli, Valerio Binasco

Bologna, 1976. The paths of two aimless young friends intertwine with those of Radio Alice, a pirate radio politically aligned with the leftist student movement.

History Comedy Drama Cast, crew & box office
On this page (5)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (12)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Every angle
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12 events in order · contains spoilers

Working Slowly (Radio Alice) Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Working Slowly (Radio Alice) (2004) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Radio Alice under police watch (1976)

    In 1976 Bologna, Radio Alice sits at Via del Pratello as a beacon for the movement, while the police keep it under control. Lieutenant Lippolis dismisses it as a harmless nuisance, not worth wasting time on. The station embodies a world foreign to law enforcement and to most suburban youths.

    When
    1976
    Where
    Bologna (Via del Pratello)

  2. Sgualo and Pelo dream of escape

    Two men in their twenties, Sgualo and Pelo, linger in the Safagna outskirts, hoping for a way out of the gray everyday life. They spend evenings in a neighborhood bar and occasionally do jobs for a local fence, Marangon, to make ends meet. Their shared longing is to break free from the dull cycle of their lives.

    When
    mid-1970s
    Where
    Safagna, Bologna (eastern outskirts)

  3. A risky plan: tunnel toward the Savings Bank

    Marangon presents a daring proposal: dig a tunnel under the city center to reach the Savings Bank in Piazza Minghetti. The two accept the assignment, despite recognizing the danger and the absurdity of what they’re about to attempt. The plan promises a dramatic escape from their poverty-stricken routine.

    When
    late 1976
    Where
    Center of Bologna, Piazza Minghetti

  4. Night digging with an unlikely soundtrack

    The pair begin the underground excavation, exhausted by the long hours of digging. To keep themselves awake, they bring a radio into the tunnel and let the broadcasts guide the mood of their work. The rhythm of the pickaxe synchronizes with the voices crackling from below.

    When
    during the dig
    Where
    Tunnel beneath Bologna center (Piazza Minghetti area)

  5. Radio Alice found: the voice of the movement

    Against all odds, they stumble upon a radio station deep underground, Radio Alice, whose flow becomes the soundtrack of their labor. The station’s voice introduces them to a larger world beyond their immediate scheme. The discovery injects a new energy into their work and outlook.

    When
    during the dig
    Where
    Underground tunnel, Bologna

  6. Rain interrupts the dig; the protagonists seek the surface

    A heavy downpour halts the digging, forcing the two back to the surface. They decide to visit the Radio Alice station to seek shelter and perhaps connect with the broader student movement. The rain becomes a turning point that shifts their attention from a bank job to activism.

    When
    during the downpour night
    Where
    Radio Alice, Via del Pratello, Bologna

  7. Connection with student activism

    Inside Radio Alice, the two are drawn into the world of student activism and its passionate energy. The broadcaster’s creative fault lines amplify the movement’s momentum and appeal. They glimpse a path beyond crime that resonates with the city’s youth.

    When
    that night
    Where
    Radio Alice, Bologna

  8. Francesco Lorusso is killed

    On 11 March 1977, Francesco Lorusso is shot by a carabiniere, triggering a wave of violent clashes throughout Bologna. The city becomes engulfed in confrontation between protesters and authorities. This event marks a decisive moment that pulls the protagonists deeper into the turmoil.

    When
    11 March 1977
    Where
    Bologna

  9. Clashes pull the protagonists in

    The ensuing clashes draw the two men into the street battles between students and police. The intensity of the confrontation tests their loyalties and their nerve. The environment shifts from private schemes to public crisis.

    When
    11 March 1977
    Where
    Bologna streets

  10. Arrest and rooftop escape

    One of the two is seized by the authorities amid the chaos, while the other escapes by running across the rooftops to evade capture. The city’s vertigo of fear and defiance frames their separate fates. The rooftop chase becomes a symbol of the period’s desperation.

    When
    11 March 1977
    Where
    Bologna rooftops

  11. Police pursuit widens across the city

    As the arrests multiply and the fugitive spirals through the streets, the crackdown intensifies. The authorities tighten their grip on Bologna, determined to restore order after the lethal incident. The city endures a period of heightened tension and uncertainty.

    When
    11-12 March 1977
    Where
    Bologna

  12. Radio Alice’s role in the uprising

    Throughout these events, Radio Alice stands as the movement’s voice and catalyst. The film depicts how the station’s broadcasts echo through the city’s upheaval and influence the participants’ choices. The station’s presence encapsulates the era’s blend of culture, protest, and risk.

    When
    1977
    Where
    Bologna

Last updated: February 20, 2026 at 18:43

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Timeline questions answered

Working Slowly (Radio Alice) Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Working Slowly (Radio Alice) (2004): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why do Sgualo and Pelo decide to dig a tunnel to the Savings Bank?

They accept Marangon's risky proposal because they want to escape their gray, oppressive daily grind in the Safagna outskirts. The tunnel represents a dramatic way out of their poverty-stricken routine and a chance to break free from the dull cycle of their lives.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, they are shown lingering in a neighborhood bar, dreaming of a way out of their mundane existence.

  • tunnel
  • bank robbery
  • escape
  • poverty
  • Marangon
Q2

How do Sgualo and Pelo discover Radio Alice while digging?

While toiling through long, exhausting hours in the tunnel beneath Piazza Minghetti, they bring a radio with them to keep moving. Against all odds, they stumble upon Radio Alice's underground broadcast, and the station's creative current becomes the soundtrack to their labor.

Foreshadowing: The tunnel dig is described as a beacon in the dark that keeps them moving forward.

  • radio alice
  • tunnel
  • underground
  • discovery
  • digging
Q3

Why does the heavy rain interrupt their digging?

A heavy downpour floods and damages the tunnel, making continued work impossible. Exhausted and battered by the storm, Pelo and Sgualo decide to seek relief at the surface and head toward Radio Alice station.

Foreshadowing: The timeline explicitly marks the rain as a turning point that shifts their attention from the bank job to activism.

  • rain
  • tunnel
  • flood
  • interruption
Q4

What draws Sgualo and Pelo to Radio Alice after the rain?

They seek shelter from the downpour and are drawn into the wider world of student activism that Radio Alice represents. The station's passionate energy and creative spirit appeal to their longing for something beyond petty crime.

Foreshadowing: The station is described as a beacon for the movement, embodying fantasy, sexual freedom, and cultural provocation.

  • radio alice
  • student activism
  • shelter
  • movement
Q5

Why does Francesco Lorusso's death trigger violent riots in Bologna?

On March 11, 1977, Francesco Lorusso is shot by a carabiniere, becoming a catalyst for widespread violent clashes throughout Bologna. His death represents the brutal oppression faced by protesters and ignites fury among students and young people already frustrated with the system.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes Radio Alice as the voice of a movement built on defiance against authority.

  • francesco lorusso
  • death
  • riots
  • 1977
  • carabiniere
Q6

What happens to Sgualo and Pelo during the riots after Lorusso's death?

The clashes draw both men into the street battles between students and police. One of them is seized by authorities amid the chaos, while the other escapes by running across Bologna's rooftops, pursued by police.

Foreshadowing: The timeline shows the protagonists being pulled deeper into the turmoil following Lorusso's death.

  • arrest
  • escape
  • riots
  • rooftop
  • chase
Q7

How does one of the protagonists escape via the rooftops?

During the chaos of the riots on March 11, 1977, one protagonist runs across Bologna's rooftops to evade capture. The city suddenly feels both intimate and dangerous as he tries to stay one step ahead of the police pursuit.

Foreshadowing: The film emphasizes the vertigo of fear and defiance that frames the characters' separate fates.

  • rooftop
  • escape
  • police pursuit
  • bologna
Q8

Why does one friend get arrested while the other escapes?

Amid the chaotic street battles between protesters and police, one protagonist is seized by authorities while the other manages to flee. The arbitrary nature of their separation reflects the randomness of capture during the intense crackdown that follows Lorusso's death.

Foreshadowing: The police pursuit widens across the city as arrests multiply.

  • arrest
  • separation
  • friends
  • police
  • chaos
Q9

What role does Radio Alice play in the uprising?

Radio Alice stands as the movement's voice and catalyst throughout the events. Its broadcasts echo through the city during the upheaval, influencing participants' choices and amplifying the rebellious spirit. The station embodies the era's blend of culture, protest, and risk.

Foreshadowing: The station is established as the voice of a movement built on fantasy and cultural provocation.

  • radio alice
  • uprising
  • movement
  • broadcasts
  • influence
Q10

Why do Sgualo and Pelo abandon their bank robbery plan for student activism?

After discovering Radio Alice and witnessing the broader student movement, they are drawn to a path beyond crime that resonates with the city's youth. The rain delay that forces them to the surface becomes a turning point that shifts their ambitions from personal gain to collective political action.

Foreshadowing: The discovery of Radio Alice injects a new energy into their work and outlook.

  • crime
  • activism
  • transformation
  • Radio Alice
  • choice
Q11

What historical event does the film depict in its climax?

The film depicts the death of Francesco Lorusso, a student shot by a carabiniere on March 11, 1977, in Bologna. This real historical event triggered widespread riots and became a pivotal moment in Italy's Years of Lead period.

Foreshadowing: The meta notes confirm the intensity stems from combining a high-stakes crime plot with a volatile political backdrop.

  • francesco lorusso
  • 1977
  • historical event
  • years of lead
  • bologna
Q12

Why is the film's ending considered bittersweet?

The ending mixes the arrest of one friend with the freedom of the other, reflecting both gains and losses within the broader societal conflict. One protagonist remains in custody while the other escapes, symbolizing how political upheaval affects individuals arbitrarily.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early that the characters are caught between aspiration and consequence.

  • ending
  • bittersweet
  • arrest
  • freedom
  • outcome

Movie threads

More Movies Like Working Slowly (Radio Alice), by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Working Slowly (Radio Alice) tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Political Rebellion Films like Working Slowly (Radio Alice)

Stories where youthful idealism clashes with an oppressive societal system. Explore movies like Working Slowly (Radio Alice) that focus on youth-driven political upheaval and underground resistance. If you liked the tense, rebellious energy of this film, you'll find more stories of idealism clashing with authority here.

  • rebellious
  • oppressive
  • anxious
  • political
  • melancholic
  • urgent
  • Tone: tense, rebellious, melancholic
  • Pacing: variable, urgent
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives often follow characters who are swept up in a cause, driven by a desire for change. The journey typically involves forming or joining a counter-culture movement, facing escalating opposition, and confronting the sobering realities and personal sacrifices that come with activism.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on political rebellion, a tense and oppressive atmosphere, and the bittersweet or heavy emotional fallout of fighting against a powerful system. They often feature a mix of high intensity and variable pacing, reflecting the chaotic nature of protest.

The Revolutionary movie poster

The Revolutionary

1971
The Dreamers movie poster

The Dreamers

2004
R.P.M. movie poster

R.P.M.

1970
This Revolution movie poster

This Revolution

2005
The Silent Revolution movie poster

The Silent Revolution

2018
A Dangerous Life movie poster

A Dangerous Life

1000
The Youth of Maxim movie poster

The Youth of Maxim

1935
The Strawberry Statement movie poster

The Strawberry Statement

1970

Coming of Age Stories with Bittersweet Endings like Working Slowly (Radio Alice)

A coming-of-age story where innocence is lost to harsh societal realities. Discover movies similar to Working Slowly (Radio Alice) that explore youth grappling with harsh realities. If you were moved by the film's melancholic take on growing up amidst turmoil, you'll find more powerful stories of disillusionment here.

  • melancholic
  • youthful
  • disillusionment
  • bittersweet
  • tense
  • heavy
  • Tone: melancholic, tense, bittersweet
  • Pacing: variable, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern follows characters on the cusp of adulthood who are thrust into situations that shatter their naivety. The plot revolves around their struggle to reconcile their ideals with a world that is often corrupt, violent, or indifferent, leading to a personal transformation marked by sadness and hard-won wisdom.

Why they belong together: These films share a core theme of disillusionment, a melancholic and tense mood, and a bittersweet emotional conclusion. They combine the personal stakes of a coming-of-age story with the heavier weight of social commentary, creating a powerful and resonant viewing experience.

Sweet Bird of Youth movie poster

Sweet Bird of Youth

1962
Another Country movie poster

Another Country

1984
Youth movie poster

Youth

2015
So B. It movie poster

So B. It

2017
Teenage Dirtbag movie poster

Teenage Dirtbag

2009
An Awfully Big Adventure movie poster

An Awfully Big Adventure

1995
Boys on the Side movie poster

Boys on the Side

1995
Splendor in the Grass movie poster

Splendor in the Grass

1961

Every angle

Working Slowly (Radio Alice) (2004) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Working Slowly (Radio Alice) in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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