Antonioni's first film since suffering a stroke in 1985 is based on stories from his book THAT BOWLING ALLEY IN THE TIBER and was realized with help from Wim Wenders. It is a loosely connected series of beautifully shot romantic vignettes tied together by "the Director," (John Malkovich) who wanders around Italy observing the inhabitants of various cities: a beautiful young couple have two magical evenings three years apart; The Director learns the secret of a beautiful young woman (Sophie Marceau); a married man (Peter Weller) must choose between his young mistress or his loyal wife; and, finally, a young man (Vincent Perez) tries to win over an aloof young woman (Irene Jacob).