Carlo and Marta cannot have children, so they adopt Vinicio 'long distance'. He is an Eastern European orphan with whom they exchange letters. The couples' nice gesture does not lead them to get to know the boy in person because they have the intention- one does not know how sincere it is- of not depriving the boy of his environment and culture. The two worlds thus remain too distant for there to be any real chance for mutual understanding. While Carlo and Marta lead a life devoted to good feelings and morality, Vinicio lives under completely different circumstances until events lead him to come face to face with his foster parents.