Ecce Bombo, Moretti’s first feature in 35mm, took the Italian cinema by storm, generating accolades from critics and audiences alike. The director’s soon-to-be-ubiquitous alter ego, Michele, leads a fairly benign life, surrounded by a small group of friends who are more or less swamped by personal problems. After a series of political and amorous misadventures and a night waiting for the sunrise on a beach near Rome, the group tries to face life more seriously.