In a sparse and inhospitable land, the policeman Enzo Vitello, a man with a dark past, is obsessed with "Dostoyevsky", a serial killer whom he kills with a peculiarity: next to the body, the murderer always leaves a letter with his desolate and very clear vision of the world, of life and darkness that Vitello hears resonating in him.
After a serious accident Giuseppe is out of work. His son Antò dreams of being an archaeologist and thinks his father's glass eye is a sign he has superpowers. It's just the two of them now, since their beloved wife and mother Angela collapsed and died while working in the fields. Now they've lost their home, too, and have taken shelter in a tent city with other seasonal workers. Through all this, Giuseppe still summons up the strength to hug his son every night and tell him a story. He's promised Antò he will have his mother back, one day, and will do anything to keep his promise.