Character Relationship Map: Civico zero

Characters

• Giuliano (played by Massimo Ranieri) — protagonist

  Giuliano is a fruit seller at Campo de' Fiori in Rome. After his mother's death, he becomes mentally unwell and wanders through the city without any clear purpose. He is the central character of the f...

• Nina (played by Ornella Muti) — supporting

  Nina is a Romanian woman living in Rome without a residence permit. Facing social isolation and difficulty finding work because she does not know Italian, she eventually gets a domestic job through th...

• Stella (played by Letizia Sedrick) — supporting

  Stella is a young Ethiopian woman who has arrived in Rome and lives in a container. She finds work on Via Marsala and marries Joseph, an old African friend. Their life is difficult, and the couple mus...

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Nina → Giuliano (Narrative Parallel Protagonists) — Parallel narrative threads highlighting shared urban struggles.
• Stella → Giuliano (Narrative Parallel Protagonists) — Parallel narrative threads highlighting shared urban struggles.
• Stella → Nina (Narrative Parallel Protagonists) — Parallel narrative threads highlighting shared immigrant experiences.

Story Analysis

Three separate lives reveal hardship, isolation, and disorientation in Rome.

Plot Progression

1. Three Lives in Rome — The film establishes its three-episode structure through Stella, Nina, and Giuliano. Each episode focuses on a different form of marginality in Rome.
2. Stella Seeks Stability — Stella arrives from Ethiopia, lives in a container, finds work, and marries an old African friend. Their difficult life requires repeated moves in search of employment.
3. Nina Without a Place — Nina lives in Rome without a residence permit and struggles with loneliness. Her search for work is obstructed by her limited knowledge of Italian.
4. Work Through Solidarity — Another Romanian woman helps Nina find domestic work. Employment offers practical support, but Nina remains completely alone in Rome.
5. Giuliano After Loss — Giuliano is introduced as a fruit seller at Campo de' Fiori. After his mother's death, he becomes mad and loses any clear direction.
6. Aimless City Walk — The final episode closes with Giuliano walking through Rome without aim. The ending leaves his disorientation as the film's final emotional image.