Nanni Moretti takes a comic look at the ebbs and flows of his life as he becomes a father for the first time. He struggles with distractions while trying to make a documentary of the Italian national elections.

Nanni, a renowned director, is working on a musical when suddenly he has a change of heart and cancels the film on the first shooting day. He has a new idea, making a documentary about the Italian national elections, but work isn't going very fast, much to the frustration of the crew. Nanni can't stop thinking, worrying and getting excited about the birth and early days of life of his newborn son, yet is torn by his sense of obligation to make the documentary.