Tenderness 2018

Comedy

Box Office

$2.4M

Runtime

21 mins

Language

Russian

Directed by

Anna Melikyan

Made by

Max Volovik Films

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Tenderness Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Tenderness (2018). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

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.

Tenderness Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of Tenderness (2018) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Hospitalization after heart attack

Lorenzo suffers a heart attack and is admitted to the hospital. He refuses to speak with his children Elena and Saverio, remaining silent and emotionally distant. This moment establishes the emotional rift that will define his relationships throughout the story.

Right after the heart attack Hospital

Affection for Francesco

While recovering, Lorenzo discovers he has a soft spot for Francesco, Elena's son from her time in Egypt. He spends time with the boy, showing gentle affection that hints at a lingering paternal bond. This contrast foreshadows his troubled relations with Elena and Saverio.

During recovery Hospital

Meeting Michela

Back home, Lorenzo meets Michela, the neighbor who moved into the apartment next to his while he was in hospital, along with her husband Fabio and their two children. He is drawn into their warm, welcoming presence. The encounter marks the start of a new, comforting social circle around him.

After returning home Lorenzo's building

Growing bond with the neighbor family

Lorenzo grows fond of Michela and the northern family, especially Michela who invites him to smile more and engage with life. Her warmth becomes a steady, reassuring presence in his solitary routine. The budding friendship offers a mirror to his own need for connection.

Several weeks after returning home Lorenzo's building / Michela's home

Fabio's parenting struggles

Lorenzo learns that Fabio, the engineer, is unable to bond with his own children, mirroring Lorenzo's past difficulties with his offspring. This parallel deepens Lorenzo's empathy for the younger generation and intensifies the sense that family bonds are fragile. The insight comes through conversations with Michela.

During visits Michela's home / neighborhood

Sunday confession

One Sunday, in conversation with Michela, Lorenzo confides that as a father he deeply loved his children but grew detached as they grew up. Michela suggests that detachment might be a defense against pain in seeing loved ones suffer. After speaking these thoughts aloud, he leaves the house with a troubled mindset.

One Sunday Michela's home

Tragedy strikes

That evening, Lorenzo returns to the neighborhood and discovers Fabio has massacred his children and killed himself. Michela is the sole survivor, hospitalized in critical condition. The horror of the event shatters the fragile peace Lorenzo had begun to build.

Evening Fabio's home

Daily vigil at Michela's bedside

Lorenzo begins visiting Michela daily in the hospital, presenting himself as her father to stay close and support her recovery. The act blurs lines between truth and role, and it deepens his moral ambiguity. His presence becomes his attempt to salvage some meaning from the tragedy.

During Michela's hospital stay after the massacre Hospital

Encounters with Aurora and Rossana

During these days, Lorenzo meets Aurora, Fabio's mother, a paranoid woman who struggles with relationships. He also reconnects with his former lover Rossana, whose life has moved on since their separation. These meetings pull him further into a tangled web of past and present relationships.

During Michela's hospitalization Hospital / surrounding area

Revelation and restraining order

It comes to light that Lorenzo is not Michela's father, and he receives a restraining order. It is revealed that in his professional career he had won many cases but cheated the state by aiding false invalids and scams. The exposure shatters his self-image and deepens his isolation.

After discovery of paternity Hospital / legal setting

Michela's death and departure

A morning arrives when Michela dies, and Lorenzo moves away from his home. Elena, his daughter, grows anxious and unsettled, still hoping for reconciliation but unsure how to reach him. The loss reinforces the widening rift between father and daughter.

One morning Hospital; then moving away

Courtday and bench reconciliation

A few days later, Lorenzo goes to court where Elena serves as an interpreter during a trial. After the session, Elena exits and finds her father sitting on a bench outside. They sit in silence, and he offers a quiet handshake, signaling a tentative step toward reconciliation.

A few days later Courthouse and bench outside

Tenderness Characters

Explore all characters from Tenderness (2018). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Lorenzo

An elderly retired lawyer who suffers a heart attack and withdraws from his children. He harbors a complicated mix of affection and detachment toward his offspring, and his life is later revealed to be haunted by past deceit in his career. He finds a cautious companionship with Michela’s family but remains guarded, seeking moments of peace amid turmoil.

🧔 Complex 🩺 Health 🕊️ Redemption

Michela

Lorenzo’s warm neighbor who moves in with her husband Fabio and their two children. Her steady kindness nudges Lorenzo toward smiling again and facing his past, even as she confronts the darker undercurrents of his life. Her presence becomes the quiet bridge between isolation and connection.

🏡 Neighbor 🕊️ Care 👪 Family

Fabio

A neurotic engineer who struggles to bond with his own children. He commits an unimaginable act, massacring his children and taking his own life, turning the story into a meditation on the fragility of family life and the limits of control.

🧪 Engineer 🧨 Tragedy 🧠 Tension

Elena Ivanovna

Lorenzo’s daughter, who has long carried tension with her father. In the courtroom, she works as an interpreter, offering him a rare moment of quiet companionship after the trial. Their relationship remains strained but capable of a restrained, fragile peace.

👩 Daughter 🗣️ Interpreter 🕊️ Reconciliation

Francesco

Elena’s son from Egypt who studied to become an interpreter. He is a warm memory for Lorenzo, a symbol of the connection Lorenzo once cherished with his family. His presence in memory underscores the possibility of tenderness amid loss.

🧑‍🎓 Interpreter 💭 Memory 🌍 Cross-cultural

Saverio

Lorenzo’s other child, with whom he has no relationship. The absence of this child highlights the emotional distance across generations and the impact of unresolved family ties.

👶 Estrangement 🕊️ Distance 🧭 Family

Aurora

Fabio’s mother, a paranoid figure who has struggled to maintain relationships since her own childhood. Her presence adds a layer of tension and history to the family dynamics at the core of the story.

👵 Family history 🧠 Paranoia

Rossana

Lorenzo’s old lover. Their ended relationship has contributed to the weary state of Lorenzo’s wife and to the emotional complexities of his life. Their past shapes the emotional climate of the present.

💔 Past romance 🕰️ Memory

Tenderness Settings

Learn where and when Tenderness (2018) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Location

Italy, hospital, Lorenzo's home, Michela's apartment, courthouse

Set in contemporary Italy, the film moves between a hospital where Lorenzo recovers and the quiet spaces of his home and Michela's apartment. It also visits the courthouse, where the public face of justice intersects with private histories. These locations—hospital, home, and court—frame a meditation on loneliness, memory, and the possibility of tenderness amid tragedy.

🏥 Hospital 🏠 Home 🏛 Courtroom 🇮🇹 Italy

Tenderness Themes

Discover the main themes in Tenderness (2018). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

🤝

Forgiveness

Forgiveness threads through the film as Lorenzo confronts the distance he has kept from his children and the harm caused by his past. His quiet, often wordless gestures—like the final handshake with Elena—hint at a desire to mend what time and secrets have broken. Michela's steady kindness suggests that forgiveness can begin through small acts of care, even when reconciliation remains fragile. The tragedy surrounding Fabio further complicates the path to reconciliation, underscoring the complexity of letting go of guilt.

🧓

Memory

Memory operates as both anchor and burden for Lorenzo. He clings to Francesco as the last warm memory of his family and to the idea of a past life where his children were loved. The revelation that his past deeds included deceit reveals how memories can mislead or haunt, shaping present decisions. The film uses memory to probe how people cultivate tenderness in the face of aging and loss.

⚖️

Guilt

Guilt shadows Lorenzo's career and personal life, as his long record of wins is tainted by cheating the state to aid false invalids and participate in scams. The narrative pairs his moral corruption with his desire for human connection, showing how guilt can both isolate and drive a person toward accountability. Fabio's violence becomes a stark counterpoint to Lorenzo's own hidden guilt, forcing a public reckoning in the courtroom. The ending gesture of reconciliation points to a nuanced understanding that guilt can be acknowledged without fully erasing past harm.

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Tenderness Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of Tenderness (2018). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In a languid, winter‑kissed city where old stone façades watch over quiet streets, an elderly retired lawyer awakens to a new fragility after a sudden heart attack. Lorenzo finds himself stepping back into a domestic world that feels both familiar and strangely distant, his days now marked by the subtle choreography of hospitals, lingering appointments, and the soft hum of everyday life. The atmosphere vibrates with a gentle melancholy, a blend of personal introspection and the understated bustle of a community that never quite pauses.

Returning home, Lorenzo encounters the family next door, a lively north‑Italian household that drifts in and out of his routine. Their matriarch, Michela, greets him with a warm, almost maternal smile, while her husband, Fabio, carries an undercurrent of quiet unease. Through shared cups of tea and fleeting conversations on the balcony, a tentative companionship forms, offering Lorenzo moments of unexpected levity amid his solitary thoughts. The dynamic hints at deeper currents: a yearning for connection, the echo of past affection, and the unspoken question of what it means to be truly seen.

Beyond the neighbor’s door, the lawyer’s own family lingers in the periphery. His estranged daughter, Elena, and son, Saverio, appear as distant silhouettes of a life once lived, their occasional visits tinged with a mixture of longing and restraint. A grandson, Francesco, remains the sole thread of affection that still ties Lorenzo to his own lineage. Interspersed with fleeting encounters are the enigmatic presences of Aurora, a figure from the neighbor’s past, and Rossana, a former love whose memory lingers like a half‑remembered melody.

The film moves with a quiet, observant pacing, allowing everyday gestures to speak louder than grand declarations. In the background, the solemn rhythm of the courtroom and the delicate art of interpretation surface, hinting at the broader themes of communication, regret, and the fragile hope of reconciliation that linger just beyond the frame.