Italy, 1980. After spending ten years working on her masterpiece "The Art of Joy", rejected by Italian publishers, writer Goliarda Sapienza finds herself at fifty five in a dark period, drained of courage and energy to write. The story begins with her release from prison, where she was held for pawning jewelry stolen from a close female friend. Sapienza explains that she did it to raise money to publish her first novel, but also admits it was a “provocation,” an experiment to see what would happen. Her time in prison, however, becomes transformative: through her encounters with young inmates, she rediscovers both her joy in life and her will to write.

Sapienza sees prison as an extreme point of social inequality and injustice. It provides her with the opportunity to give form to her thoughts on how civil society insidiously and dangerously restricts personal freedom. While exploring these themes, the film consistently challenges morality and traditional gender roles as well. Despite the absence of action, its narrative sustains a strong tension over nearly two hours.

Sapienza’s "The Art of Joy", now considered an epic masterpiece, was denied publication in Italy during her lifetime and only gained recognition after her death.