Set in a small Sicilian village, the story depicts three stages in the life of Salvatore, who leaves his village on the advice of his mentor as a boy and returns home many years later as a prominent Roman movie director. He returns to attend the funeral of the town's former film projectionist and in so doing embarks upon a journey into his boyhood just after WW II when he became the unofficial son of the town projectionist. In the dark confines of the cramped theater, the townsfolk come to escape from the grim realities of post-war Italy while Salvatore learns most of what he'll ever learn about love, loss and loyalty from his beloved mentor and his nights spent at Cinema Paradiso.