Jonas

The year is 1918, Veneto, Italy. A member of the Italian-American Congress goes to the Italian pilot center to fight alongside the aviators aboard the new Caproni hunters. His name will remain in history: it's Fiorello La Guardia, future mayor of New York. But La Guardia is not the only immigrant of Italian origin to serve the front: beside him there are volunteers from all over the world to pay homage to their roots.

Two criminals who enrolled in the German police to get out of prison seize an opportunity after the War to redeem themselves. The elder of the two, Mad Bosco, dies at the beginning of their adventure. Georges, 25, is greatly helped by Louise whose dream is to see him turn over a new leaf. She introduces him to Commander Rove, a counter-espionage officer, who decides to employ Georges' skills in exchange for his rehabilitation. Through their hunt for collaborators the relationship between Rove and Georges changes. Mistrust and disdain gradually succumb to a burgeoning friendship.

During the 20-day leave, war correspondent Lopatin travels by train to the distant city of Tashkent. It's very far from the front but the war seems to be present in people's minds even there.

A simple peasant is forced to take up arms to defend his farm during the Spanish Civil War. Along the way he falls in love with Russian whose father is involved in espionage.

A French singer is captured by the Germans and made to broadcast for them.

Years later, a woman narrates her personal story of the Japanese takeover of Hong Kong in 1941. She's Nam, young, attractive, daughter of a wealthy rice merchant, and prey to painful, disabling seizures. Her boyhood friend is Coolie Keung, whose family used to have wealth; he's now impoverished, a tough kid, a leader, in love with her. Into the mix steps Fay, cool and resourceful, an actor from the north, intent on getting to Gold Mountain in the US or Australia. They form a threesome, but the day they are to leave Hong Kong, the invasion stops them. Fay must rescue Keung from collaborators, Nam falls in love with Fay, and danger awaits their next attempt to escape.