While at his home in Rome one evening, renowned director Salvatore Di Vita (Jacques Perrin) receives news that old Alfredo has died. His memories take us far back to his childhood in Sicily. At the center of little Toto’s world are the Cinema Paradiso and its projectionist Alfredo (Philippe Noiret) – something of a father figure who awakens an absolute love for film in the restless young boy. Audiences around the world agree that Tornatore’s charming and nostalgic film is one of the most beautiful tributes to cinema and the big screen ever made (Cinema Paradiso ranks 49th in an Imdb.com poll of the best films of all time) – a view shared by the jury at Cannes (Grand Prix) and the members of the American motion picture academy (Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film).