Former opera singer Marta (Hella Petri) is the maternal figurehead of an unconventional Italian household comprising adopted niece Anna (Mariangela Melato) and her lover Claudia (Eleonora Giorgi). When Marta's gay brother, Nicky (Erland Josephson), and his partner, Picchio (David Pontremoli), come to visit, Marta and her extended brood plan a trip to Venice. But after Marta suddenly suffers a heart attack and dies, the couples undergo a period of self-reflection and reevaluation.