Domenico (Sandro Panseri) has migrated from his tiny Italian village to Milan. Here in the city, he has become little more than a number as he lands an entry level position with a company whose anonymity is matched only by that of Domenico`s own status within Milan. The job seems to offer no opportunity and the bureaucratic system the young laborer has to deal with is nothing less than Kafka-esque. The quiet country transplant finds solace in a coworker, the beautifully sweet Antonietta (Loredana Detto), as the power of human connections triumphs over the cold atmosphere of the faceless modern business world.Italian director Ermanno Olmi`s (TREE OF THE WOODEN CLOGS) 1961 film is a masterpiece of tender human emotion. The performance of Sandro Panseri is perfectly understated with a stone-faced innocence reminiscent of Buster Keaton. The coming of age comedy won major prizes at the Venice and London Festivals and has become a classic film of great socio-political importance.