Nicola visits Giulia and proposes to her but is rejected. Spring 1992 Nicola finds a photograph of Matteo taken by Mirella. He is encouraged by Giorgia to meet with Mirella which, after some hesitation, he agrees to do. When he meets Mirella, Nicola learns about her son (Andrea) and that Matteo was the father. Nicola breaks this exciting news to his mother and they visit Mirella and the boy on the small island of Stromboli. Inspired by new meaning in her life, Nicola's mother decides to stay with Mirella and her grandson. Spring 1995 Nicola and his friends acquire and plan the reconstruction of an old villa house in Tuscany. Giulia (out of jail) meets Francesca but chooses not to talk to Sara, watching her from afar. Meanwhile, Sara, now in her early twenties, is still struggling with the poor choices her mother has made. She decides to move to Rome to study art conservation and becomes engaged to Mimmo. During this time, Nicola finds out his mother has died and, as a result, travels to Stromboli to visit Mirella and pay his respects. Spring 2000 Having finally moved past the death of Matteo, Nicola and Mirella fall in love. Sara, now happy and strong, is encouraged by Nicola to confront her mother and try to patch things up. Giulia, in desperate need of love, embraces Sara, but is not ready to open up completely. 2003 The film ends with Matteo's son, Andrea, visiting Norway, specifically North Cape, which is where his father and Nicola ventured to go at the beginning of the movie, but never completed their journey. Cast Luigi Lo Cascio as Nicola Carati Alessio Boni as Matteo Carati Jasmine Trinca as Giorgia Adriana Asti as Adriana Carati Sonia Bergamasco as Giulia Monfalco Fabrizio Gifuni as Carlo Tommasi Maya Sansa as Mirella Utano Valentina Carnelutti as Francesca Carati Nila Carnelutti as Francesca Carati at 8 Andrea Tidona as Angelo Carati Lidia Vitale as Giovanna Carati Claudio Gioè as Vitale Micavi Paolo Bonanni as Luigino Giovanni Scifoni as Berto Riccardo Scamarcio as Andrea Utano Francesco La Macchia as Andrea Utano at 6 Camilla Filippi as Sara Carati Greta Cavuoti as Sara Carati at 8 Sara Pavoncello as Sara Carati at 5 Mario Schiano as medicine professor Michele Melega as literature professor Thérèse Vadem as Therese Stefano Abbati as pusher Giovanni Martorana as Maghrebi Paolo De Vita as Don Vito