In this drama that recalls the neo-realist films of the 1940s, Sciarra (Claudio Amendola) is a police detective who is leaving the force due to an incurable respiratory ailment. On his last day, Sciarra's superiors, the Commissioner (Peppe Servillo) and Porcaro (Valerio Binasco), give him a final assignment he's not very pleased about.
Domenica (Domenica Guiliano), an orphaned 12-year-old girl, was raped, and when a suspect turns up dead, Sciarra is ordered to escort the girl to the morgue so that she can confirm or deny whether the dead man is the one who attacked her.
Circumstances prevent this from being an easy task, and over the course of a long day, Sciarra becomes friendly with Domenica, who struggles to hold on to her innocence and optimism in a world that has allowed her very few illusions. Domenica also features American actress Annabella Sciorra as Betibu, Sciarra's ex-girlfriend and a sometime police informant.