Stolen Days (2019) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

A boy's longing for an absent father collides with dangerous adult promises and a criminal world.

Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases

The Vanished Promise

A father and son share a playful seaside morning near the Peak of Death. The father's disappearance transforms an ordinary promise into the boy's defining memory.

Key Events

• Seaside Morning — A devoted father prepares his young son beside the sea. Location: Seaside
• The Dangerous Cliff Joke — Father and son joke about diving from the dangerous cliff. Location: Peak of Death
• Toy Found in Sand — A playful argument begins over a toy found in the sand. Location: Seaside
• The Last Goodbye — The father sends the boy ahead and promises to follow, but disappears. Location: Seaside
• Schoolroom Praise — A teacher praises the boy's schoolwork after his father's disappearance. Location: School

Memory and Imagined Treasure

At school and later with an older man, the boy is surrounded by praise, stories, and fantasies of adventure. His fear of being abandoned remains beneath these comforting experiences.

Key Events

• Dreamed Fishing Rod — The boy imagines receiving a fishing rod and pursuing adventures. Location: School
• Haircut for an Elder — Years later, the boy cuts an older man's hair and shares meals with him. Location: Haircut setting
• Treasure Island Stories — The older man tells stories about treasure, riches, and memory. Location: Haircut setting
• Fear of Abandonment — The boy repeatedly worries that he will be abandoned again. Location: Haircut setting

Bari's Dangerous Promise

Vincenzo takes the boy to Bari under the promise of finding treasure. There, conversations about money, stolen goods, a missing professor, and prison reveal the criminal world around them.

Key Events

• Journey to Bari — Vincenzo takes the boy to Bari, claiming they will find treasure. Characters: Vincenzo Location: Road to Bari
• Meeting Totò — Vincenzo meets Totò and enters a conversation about money and stolen goods. Characters: Vincenzo, Totò Location: Bari
• The Missing Professor — Totò discusses a missing professor connected to the adults' schemes. Characters: Vincenzo, Totò Location: Bari
• Vito in Solitary — Totò mentions that Vito has spent a year in solitary confinement. Characters: Totò, Vito Location: Bari
• Business as Cover — The adults present schemes involving shops, fur, and valuables as business or art. Characters: Vincenzo, Totò Location: Bari
• Criminal Fragments — The boy overhears fragments about guns, prison, and violence. Characters: Vincenzo, Totò Location: Bari

The Cliff and the Wait

After the boy faces mockery, Vincenzo revives their old cliffside promise and later assures him that he will not leave. The ending returns the boy to anxious waiting.

Key Events

• Mockery from Other Boys — Other boys mock the boy, intensifying his social insecurity. Location: Outdoor area
• A Prank Instead — An adult encourages the boy to answer the mockery with a prank rather than a weapon. Location: Outdoor area
• Return to the Cliff — Vincenzo takes the boy toward the cliff and promises that they will jump together. Characters: Vincenzo Location: Peak of Death
• Promise in Bari — Vincenzo promises not to abandon the boy, then leaves him to play football. Characters: Vincenzo Location: Bari
• Waiting Again — The boy waits once again for Vincenzo to return, leaving the promise unresolved. Characters: Vincenzo Location: Bari

Story Breakdown

• Seaside Fatherhood — The opening establishes intimacy, play, and the promise that shapes the boy's later memories.
  • Cliffside Joking — Father and son joke about diving from the Peak of Death.
  • The Vanishing — The father sends the boy ahead and does not return.
• Schoolroom Dreams — The boy's daily life continues while imagination helps him process absence.
  • Teacher's Praise — A teacher recognizes the boy's work at school.
  • Fishing Adventure — The boy imagines receiving a fishing rod and living an adventure.
• Memory's Shelter — An older man's companionship offers stories and temporary emotional protection.
  • Haircut Ritual — The boy cuts the older man's hair and shares meals with him.
  • Treasure Stories — Stories of Treasure Island and hidden riches give memory an imaginative form.
• Bari's Criminal World — Vincenzo's supposed treasure journey exposes the boy to criminal dealings.
  • Totò's Meeting — Vincenzo meets Totò to discuss money and stolen goods.
  • Missing Professor — The adults connect a missing professor with their schemes.
• Violence Beneath Business — The adults disguise dangerous activities as commerce or art while the boy overhears disturbing fragments.
  • Vito's Solitary — Totò mentions Vito's year in solitary confinement.
  • Guns and Prison — The boy hears fragments about weapons, prison, and violence.
• Promises Repeated — The ending repeats the emotional pattern of intimacy followed by separation.
  • Cliffside Return — Vincenzo brings the boy back toward the cliff and proposes jumping together.
  • Final Waiting — Vincenzo promises to stay, leaves, and makes the boy wait again.

Directed by

Guido Lombardi

Key Cast

• Augusto Zazzaro — Salvo
• Riccardo Scamarcio — Vincenzo
• Massimo Popolizio — Totò
• Carlo Cerciello — Prof. Mangiafreda
• Giorgio Careccia — Vito