Collection of three films from directors Paolo and Vittorio Taviani. In 'The Night of the Shooting Stars' (1982) a woman tells her sleeping son a story from her childhood during the war. In the summer of 1944, German forces are retreating out of Italy and leaving devastation in their wake.

Her town is threatened with destruction, but if wishes are made on the night of San Lorenzo when shooting stars are seen, they may come true. She survives the night and wishes to pass this knowledge to her child. 'Padre Padrone' (1977) follows Gavino (Saverio Marconi), a young boy whose tyrannical father wants him to become a shepherd.

Determined to attend university, Gavino finally escapes his isolated existence and becomes a linguistics professor. Finally, 'Kaos' (1984) consists of four parts based on short stories by Luigi Pirandello which explore different aspects of life in 19th century Sicily. The stories are: 'The Other Son', 'Moon Sickness', 'The Jar' and 'Requiem'.