Seeking Asylum 1979

In the Corticella district of Bologna, a landmark moment arrives as a male teacher steps into a kindergarten for the first time. Roberto is an excellent educator who quickly builds a warm rapport with the children—and with the female staff—earning their trust from day one. His methods are unconventional and driven by a strong sense of freedom, a teaching style that feels refreshing yet gradually puts him at odds with the authorities who expect a more traditional approach. The classroom atmosphere brightens under his presence, and the kids respond with curiosity, while his colleagues observe with a mix of admiration and concern about how his liberty-minded philosophy fits into the school’s rules.

His personal life becomes inseparable from his vocation when he begins a relationship with Isabella, the single mother of his student Michela, and she finds herself pregnant once again, a development that adds new complexity to their lives. Roberto also forms a special bond with Gianluigi, a quiet child who doesn’t speak and eats very little, a situation that leads to Gianluigi being moved from the kindergarten to a care home as his needs are assessed and addressed. The summer that follows tests the stability of these relationships as Isabella nears childbirth and reveals her plan to move to Sardinia, where she owns an abandoned cinema that holds memories and possibilities for a new start.

With a quiet resolve, Roberto accompanies Isabella—though not explicitly invited to join her—along with a group of children, among them Gianluigi, as they set off toward a fresh chapter. The journey to Sardinia becomes more than a relocation; it becomes a shared experience that shapes the children’s lives and asks them to face change together, under the watchful eye of a teacher whose unorthodox methods continue to challenge conventions while offering new paths for growth. On the day Isabella gives birth to her second child, Gianluigi begins to show the first real signs of recovery, suggesting that care, attention, and a supportive environment can unlock potential that had seemed out of reach.