What Is The Man Who Will Come About?
The premise of The Man Who Will Come in 281 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the snow‑covered hills of the Apennines, a tightly‑woven Italian village clings to survival as winter of 1943 stretches its cold fingers over every roof and field. Life unfolds against a backdrop of rationed food, shared labor in stone houses, and the ever‑present echo of distant gunfire. The rhythm of daily chores—laundry hung on frozen lines, baskets woven in dim barns, the ritual slaughter of a pig—creates a fragile sense of normalcy that the war threatens to dissolve at any moment.
At the heart of this community is eight‑year‑old Martina, a quiet observer whose sudden muteness since the loss of her younger brother has made her both a subject of whispered curiosity and an unexpected well of insight. Her world is marked by the subtle gestures of her family: her mother Lena’s careful watch over a nine‑month pregnancy, the tender anticipation of a new life, and the gentle rites of childhood such as first communion and shy flirtations among neighbors. Through Martina’s still eyes, the ordinary becomes a canvas on which the larger conflict paints its shadows, hinting at the weight of unspoken fears and hopes that linger in every corner of the village.
As German troops draw nearer and partisan bands move through the mountains, the villagers find themselves balancing the instinct to protect their own with the pull of a broader resistance. The atmosphere is thick with anticipation, a quiet tension that seeps into kitchens and churches alike, where conversations linger on the edge of courage and caution. In this fragile setting, the characters navigate a moral landscape as rugged as the terrain, each choice hinting at deeper stories that lie just beyond the veil of the present winter.
What Happens in The Man Who Will Come?
The complete story of The Man Who Will Come, from the first scene to the last, in 279 words (about 1 minute). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 2 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
Set in the winter between 1943 and 1944 in the Apennines, the film follows eight-year-old Martina, Greta Zuccheri Montanari, who lives with her parents and a large peasant family that toils every day to survive. Since the death of her younger brother, Martina has stopped talking, and this makes her the target of ridicule from her peers. Yet her observations are sharp and often profound, catching details that others miss.
World War II arrives with a more intrusive presence of German soldiers and bands of partisans in the hills. Martina’s mother Lena, Maya Sansa, becomes pregnant, and Martina follows the nine months of gestation with careful attention, while daily life continues in small tasks: washing clothes, weaving baskets in the stable, the slaughter of the pig, the flirtations of youths, and the rituals of first communion.
At the end of September 1944, Martina’s little brother is born at home.
At daybreak, the SS, supported by German troops, arrive in the hills and stage a ferocious roundup remembered as the Marzabotto massacre. Old people, women and children are murdered after being herded into cemeteries, churches, and farmhouses.
Martina, who has managed to escape, is discovered and locked in the small church of Cerpiano with dozens of others. After the doors are closed, the soldiers carry out the massacre.
Martina miraculously survives and returns home to find only empty rooms and silence. She takes the basket with her brother, whom she had hidden in a refuge in the woods, and finds shelter in the rectory of Don Fornasini.
After the massacre is complete, she tends to her brother by singing him a lullaby, and, in the process, slowly regains her voice.
The Man Who Will Come Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
14 key events in the order they happen, from “Winter life in the Apennines” to “Lullaby and the return of speech”. 14 events name a place, across 12 locations.
- 1
Winter life in the Apennines
The film opens in the winter between 1943 and 1944, following Martina's large peasant family as they toil in the snow-covered hills. Eight-year-old Martina has stopped speaking after the death of her younger brother, yet her observations cut through the quiet of daily life. The family works the land day by day, sustaining themselves while the war outside enlarges the world around them.
When:Winter 1943-1944 Where:Apennines, family home
- 2
Martina's silence after her brother's death
Martina's brother dies, and she ceases to speak, becoming an object of ridicule among peers. Despite her muteness, she continues to observe details and people with a sharp, silent clarity. The loss marks a turning point in her relationship with the world around her.
When:Soon after brother's death Where:Family home
- 3
War arrives: soldiers and partisans
World War II arrives in the mountains as German soldiers and bands of partisans become a visible presence. The daily routine—washing, weaving, and tending animals— is interrupted by alarms and rumors. Martina's family endures the tension of occupation while trying to keep life normal.
When:Winter 1943-1944 Where:Apennines hillside
- 4
Lena's pregnancy and Martina's watch
Martina's mother Lena becomes pregnant, and Martina carefully tracks the nine months of gestation. The war seeps into ordinary moments: laundry, baskets in the stable, pig slaughter, even flirtations and the first communion among the villagers. The family members continue their routines while a new life grows.
When:Pregnancy period during 1943-1944 Where:Family home, Apennines
- 5
Birth of Martina's little brother
At the end of September 1944, Martina's little brother is born at home. The household welcomes new life amid the turmoil, with the first days of nursing and family care. Martina's silence remains; she observes the newborn with a protective gaze.
When:End of September 1944 Where:Family home, Apennines
- 6
The SS arrive and begin the roundup
At daybreak, the SS arrive in the hills, supported by German soldiers. They carry out a ferocious roundup, targeting old people, women and children, and drive residents into cemeteries, churches and farmhouses. The violence is swift and brutal, tearing the community apart.
When:Daybreak, late September 1944 Where:Hills near Cerpiano, Marzabotto region
- 7
Martina escapes into the woods
As the assault begins, Martina manages to escape the immediate danger and makes her way toward the woods. The forest becomes her refuge as the chaos unfolds around her family and neighbors. Her sharp senses keep her alive in the sudden, brutal moment.
When:Daybreak, late September 1944 Where:Woods near the family cottage
- 8
Discovered and locked in Cerpiano church
Martina is eventually discovered and taken to the small church of Cerpiano, where she is locked inside together with dozens of others. The doors are shut as the massacre unfolds outside and within the church walls. The confinement becomes a grim pause in the violence.
When:Morning, after escape Where:Small church of Cerpiano
- 9
The massacre unfolds around Cerpiano
The massacre proceeds in the surrounding cemeteries, churches and farmhouses as the soldiers kill indiscriminately. Martina, inside the church, is spared the worst of the immediate violence by chance, but the fear and loss surrounding her are universal. The event becomes a defining, traumatic moment of the war for the community.
When:Morning, during the church massacre Where:Cerpiano church and surrounding areas
- 10
Martina survives and returns home
After the carnage, Martina somehow emerges from the church to find her home deserted and silent. The rooms are empty, the family is gone, and a deep silence replaces the bustle of daily life. She carries on with a fragile resolve to find who remains.
When:Immediately after the massacre Where:Family cottage, Apennines
Show the other 4 events of The Man Who Will Come Hide the last 4 events
- 11
Retrieving the hidden brother's basket
In the woods near the cottage, Martina retrieves the basket containing her newborn brother, whom she had hidden away for safety. She keeps him close as she moves toward shelter and solace. The act shows both her tenderness and her determination to protect her family.
When:After escape, late September 1944 Where:Woods near family cottage
- 12
Seeking shelter at Don Fornasini's rectory
Martina takes shelter at the rectory of Don Fornasini, seeking safety and care in a religious refuge. The rectory becomes a temporary haven amid the destruction and loss surrounding her. Her silence shifts to quiet endurance as she endures the aftermath.
When:After the massacre, late September 1944 Where:Rectory of Don Fornasini
- 13
Return to the cottage and lullaby
After the massacre is complete, Martina returns to the family cottage and begins to care for her brother. She sings him a lullaby, a moment that marks a turning point as the act of song helps her move toward expression again. The small, intimate ritual contrasts with the scale of tragedy around them.
When:After the massacre, late September 1944 Where:Family cottage
- 14
Lullaby and the return of speech
Holding her newborn brother and singing to him, Martina slowly finds her voice again. The lullaby acts as a bridge between silence and speech, letting her express care and emotion that the war had suppressed. This quiet recovery stands in poignant contrast to the surrounding devastation.
When:After the massacre, late September 1944 Where:Family cottage
Who Are the Main Characters in The Man Who Will Come?
3 characters, among them Martina (Greta Zuccheri Montanari), Lena (Maya Sansa) and Partigiano Gianni (Bernardo Bolognesi): who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
- M(
Martina (Greta Zuccheri Montanari)
Played by Greta Zuccheri Montanari
Eight-year-old Martina was silent after the death of her younger brother, yet her observations are sharp and perceptive. Through the war's upheavals she navigates fear and isolation, and her voice gradually returns through care, song, and resilience.
- 🧒 Child
- 🕊️ Trauma
- 🌊 Resilience
-
Lena (Maya Sansa)
Played by Maya Sansa
Martina's mother, pregnant during the upheaval, tends to her family with quiet strength. She balances the demands of daily life with the looming fear of war, and her care anchors Martina's fragile world.
- 👩 Mother
- 🤰 Pregnancy
- 🏠 Family
- PG
Partigiano Gianni (Bernardo Bolognesi)
Played by Bernardo Bolognesi
A partisan fighter who moves through the hills, representing resistance and the complexities of wartime morality. His presence underscores the tension between armed resistance and civilian vulnerability in the mountains.
- 🪖 Partisan
- 🗺️ Resistance
- 🛡️ Courage
Where and When Is The Man Who Will Come Set?
The Man Who Will Come is set in Apennines, Cerpiano, Marzabotto and Italy (Winter 1943-1944). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
Winter 1943-1944
The story unfolds during a harsh wartime winter in the Apennines as World War II intensifies. German soldiers and partisan activity intrude on daily life, shaping routines around chores, pregnancies, and community rituals. The period culminates in the Marzabotto massacre, marking a brutal turning point in the family's story.
Where
Apennines, Cerpiano, Marzabotto, Italy
The setting is the Apennine mountains in central Italy, where a remote peasant family struggles to survive through winter. The villages and landscape around Cerpiano become backdrops for daily chores, births, and the looming threat of war. The stark, snowbound terrain amplifies isolation, resilience, and the fragility of life during wartime.
- 🏔️ Apennines
- ⚔️ War-torn countryside
- 🏡 Rural Italy
What Are the Themes of The Man Who Will Come?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Trauma, Family and War and Resilience.
-
01
Trauma
Martina's muteness after her brother's death frames her as an observer whose inner life remains rich yet unspoken. The war's violence intertwines with family grief, shaping how memory endures. The film uses quiet moments and Martina's perspective to show how trauma can lie beneath the surface and reappear through small acts of resilience.
-
02
Family
The family anchors the narrative, illustrating daily life in a peasant household under constant strain. Pregnancy, chores, and small pleasures ground the characters amid danger, while love and solidarity sustain hope. The mother's protection of her unborn child and Martina's care for her sibling highlight resilience through familial bonds.
-
03
War and Resilience
The encroaching war arrives with German soldiers and partisan groups, upending ordinary life. The Marzabotto massacre cuts a brutal swath through the hills, forcing the family to endure fear and loss. Martina's escape and return home, accompanied by a lullaby, become acts of defiance that reaffirm humanity amid brutality.
What Kind of Film Is The Man Who Will Come?
Dark in tone, with steady pacing and a straightforward story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Dark
- Pacing
- Steady
- Story
- Straightforward
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Bittersweet
A steady-paced, harrowing historical drama that immerses the viewer in the quiet terror of a village facing annihilation, culminating in a brutal massacre but ending with a fragile, bittersweet note of survival and regained voice.
- somber
- oppressive
- harrowing
- grieving
- tense
- melancholic
- world war ii
- survival
- grief and loss
- innocence lost
Content notes: war violence, massacre, child death, murder of a child, execution.
Quiz
How well do you remember The Man Who Will Come? Test yourself on the story.
