Tenderness 2018

Lorenzo, an elderly retired lawyer, suffers a heart attack and, while in the hospital, refuses to speak with his children, Elena and Saverio, with whom he has no relationship. The only relative with whom he carries a warm memory is Francesco, Elena’s son from Egypt who had come into the world as he studied to become an interpreter. Back home, Lorenzo makes the acquaintance of Michela, his new neighbor who moved in with her husband Fabio and their two children to the apartment next to his while he was hospitalized. The connection feels surprising but gentle, and Lorenzo grows fond of this family from the north, drawn especially to Michela, whose invitation to smile more becomes a precious, affectionate presence in his solitary life.

As Lorenzo spends time with Michela, he learns that Fabio, a neurotic engineer, struggles to bond with his own children—an echo of the distance that has separated Lorenzo from his own offspring. One Sunday, in a candid moment with Michela, Lorenzo opens up about his past: when his children were small, he loved them deeply, but as they grew up he felt a growing detachment. Michela suggests that this detachment might be a psychological defense, a way to shield himself from the pain of watching them suffer. Right after this confession, Lorenzo leaves the house, unsettled by the weight of what he’s just revealed.

That evening, a horrific scene unfolds: Fabio has massacred his children and taken his own life. Michela survives the killings but is hospitalized in a grave condition. Posing as Michela’s father, Lorenzo begins to visit her daily, clinging to a sense of responsibility and care. During this period, he encounters Aurora, Fabio’s mother, a paranoid figure unable to maintain relationships since her own childhood, and he also reconnects with his old lover Rossana, whose ended relationship seems to have contributed to the weary state of Lorenzo’s wife. The situation takes a sharper turn when Lorenzo discovers that he is not Michela’s father, and a restraining order is issued against him. In parallel, it becomes clear that Lorenzo’s long career had its shadows: he had won many cases but repeatedly cheated the state by aiding false invalids or participating in scams.

Michela dies, and Lorenzo—already a volatile figure in the eyes of others—moves away from his home, causing distress to his daughter, Elena, who had always worried about him and hoped for reconciliation. In a final turn of the tale, Lorenzo goes to court, where he witnesses Elena working as an interpreter during a trial. After the session ends, Elena exits the courthouse and finds her father seated on a bench; they sit in quiet companionship, and he offers a restrained, wordless gesture of peace by shaking her hand.