A young Roman woman during the 1950s is on the verge of becoming engaged to a man. She goes to Cinecittà to do an audition as an extra and is thrust into this almost infinite night during which she discovers herself.

Rome, 1953. The night after the murder of Wilma Montesi, several people linked to a sword-and-sandal film set in ancient Egypt that is being shot at Cinecittà find themselves sharing important moments: Mimosa, a simple Roman girl, about to marry a man who is liked more by his family than by her, who initially showed up at Cinecittà only to be an extra; Josephine Esperanto, the star of the film, a veteran of classic Hollywood who feels threatened by the new generation of "naturalistic" actors represented by Sean Lockwood, another protagonist of the film; Rufus Priori, an American gallery owner and friend of Josephine's, who will lead the unlikely group on their journey through the night.