The film takes us on a voyage to a hidden Italy rarely addressed on film: Gay Italy as it was lived in the 20th century, from the turn of the century up to the 80s. The documentary gives voice to those who personally had to bear the weight of being "different", remembering how their lives were shaped by this situation during Fascism and in the aftermath of World War II, in an anthropologically and culturally widely diverse nation. Theirs is a mixed testimony of repression, censorship, dignity, courage, and happiness, making way for the final image of a world - our world - that still has a long way to go towards respect and liberty for everyone.

Nel film si alternano 20 interviste ad anziani uomini provenienti da ogni parte d'Italia e appartenenti a ogni classe sociale, che rimangono anonimi fino ai titoli di coda, e che raccontano ciascuno gli episodi più significativi della giovinezza in relazione alla propria omosessualità. Le interviste sono alternate a frammenti di documentari, film, programmi televisivi prodotti in Italia tra gli anni quaranta e gli anni settanta.