Baaria is Sicilian slang for Bagheria where Tornatore was born and this is an autobiographic epic of three generations in the Sicilian village where he was born.
During a debate in Naples' town hall in the early 80s, Pasquale Picone, a former steel-worker who has recently lost his job, sets himself on fire in front of the Municipal Council.
A successful director is having a midlife crisis. He has an ex-wife, ex-lover and a couple of kids he never sees. He starts getting calls from a beautiful mysterious woman who becomes his obsession and causes him to reflect on his life.