Many of us have used or heard of Olivetti typewriters, calculators, and other office machines. This fictionalized biopic, produced by RAI television, tells the story of the man behind the brand. Adriano Olivetti's innovative ideas regarding manufacturing, politics, and society were also very controversial, so much so that the Americans sent a spy to report on what he was up to.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
The story of Adriano Olivetti and his development of the family business, which expanded from typewriters to computers. This first segment shows CIA officers who consider Olivetti's electronic brain a great threat to American business. The segment also features a flashback to Adriano's childhood in Ivrea, when he was not too eager to learn the ropes.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
We start discovering what kind of person Adriano Olivetti is.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Adriano has some unwelcome news from Paola, his wife. On a nighttime walk above Ivrea, Adriano is threatened by a woman brandishing a gun.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
There is an injured person in the woods in need of aid and Adriano doesn't hesitate. A birthday party is going on in the villa.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Adriano is doing the right thing. But the Germans come looking for an American pilot and search the whole house.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
The family has realized that staying is not a wise choice, so, reluctantly, everyone starts getting ready to leave their beautiful home.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Adriano's father has decided to leave him the factory, but Adriano is not so sure about that. Adriano is still very much in love with Paola after two years apart.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
The war is over, and Adriano goes back to Ivrea. The company is barely surviving, and Adriano's siblings look to him for solutions.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
The Olivetti siblings have to decide whether to sell a stake in the factory or not. During the discussion, Paola arrives with the children.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Adriano decides to run the factory his father left him. He imagines a factory that supports culture and beauty, respects women, and is a life model. Mauro has a hard time agreeing with him, given the financial problems they face.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Adriano tries to talk with the girl who stole a wallet, but she's too frightened. Not everyone in the family agrees with how Adriano has been running the factory.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Adriano knows what kind of portable typewriter he wants to build and he knows who can build it. He thinks he knows what people want, even better than the people themselves.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Everyone is talking about Adriano Olivetti, both on Italian soil and abroad. His innovative ideas are creating quite a stir and people worry that he might be a communist.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Paola is having trouble with Carlo and shows up at Adriano's in search of consolation.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Paola is more clearheaded after a night's sleep. Adriano isn't happy, but he has other things to think about such as the new plans for the compact typewriter. He and Libero get a visit from the girl-thief again.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Teresa goes back to the factory, and finds out she has talent. Karen Bates, the American photographer, comes to visit Adriano, and he sees right away how he can involve her in one of his projects.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Adriano shows Karen Bates around the new building and she writes her report. The new portable typewriter designed by Libero is finally ready.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
The "Lettera 22" portable typewriter is selling well, although Mauro isn't in complete agreement about the price. Libero and Teresa make some plans, and Mister Dalmasso comes around again.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Teresa and Libero go to the movies together, and things seem great. But Libero has something important to tell her, something she had no idea about.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Adriano is very happy with how things have been going for the new Olivetti portable typewriter, but his siblings and partners in the business are not so happy. For one thing, they don't like not seeing any of the profits.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Adriano decides to leave running the factory to Marcello and goes off on his own to work on his other projects. But country roads are dangerous in the pouring rain...
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Even though he is no longer leading the company, Adriano is as active as ever. Events come together that motivate him to put his theories into practice.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
As luck would have it, Adriano has a chance encounter with a young woman who has a problem he is uniquely capable of solving. Teresa and her daughter Maria have an unexpected caller.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Adriano tells Grazia his ideas for a new kind of city. Back at the factory, cuts are being made, and there is talk of layoffs. We also discover an ironic fact about Adriano.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Adriano and Grazia start seeing each other romantically, but her parents do not approve because of the age difference and because Adriano is still a married man.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Adriano has to go back to Ivrea because of a death in the family, and that's where this first episode leaves us. It is interesting to note all the kinds of professionals who contributed to producing this biopic.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Adriano realizes that the only thing to do is to go and talk to Grazia's father, hoping to persuade him of his serious intentions.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Adriano goes back to the factory and is welcomed by the workers. Teresa and Libero get an unexpected and unpleasant visit.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Adriano writes a letter to Grazia. Agent Bates gets an unexpected gift from Adriano and she puts it to good use immediately.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Agent Bates reports on Olivetti's communities, Mauro tries to talk to Adriano about his position, and Adriano's son comes back from Harvard. Libero and Teresa meet by chance in the factory and have a tense conversation.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Adriano and Paola talk about relationships, and Adriano broaches the subject of annulling their marriage. Libero brings Adriano an invitation to his wedding in Novara. Adriano gets a letter he has been waiting for.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Adriano and Grazia meet happily, but only for a few minutes. At the factory, Adriano introduces the new general director to Mauro and Alessio. This is unexpected, disconcerting news for Mauro.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Teresa is distraught over Libero's marriage and is having a hard time working. Adriano tries to console her and shares his problems with her. Later on she gets a shock.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Adriano asks Karen Bates to travel to Italy's southern regions to scout out a location for an Olivetti factory. Mauro, after being passed over for a job, decides to go and work for Dalmasso.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
We learn why Dalmasso asked Mauro to stay on at the Olivetti firm. Adriano pays a visit to Mauro's house to find out if his suspicions are correct.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
After his encounter with Mauro, Adriano faints on the sidewalk. Grazia reads about his fainting in the newspaper and visits Adriano in the hospital.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Adriano's illness and hospital stay bring about a pivotal moment for relations between Grazia and her father, and not only them.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Paola makes a quick decision upon meeting Grazia. Karen Bates comes back with some footage for Adriano to look at.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Adriano's new idea is to open a factory in the south of Italy, a very poor part of Italy. Convincing his board is a huge challenge. He takes Karen and her camera around the southern part of the country to scout for locations.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Adriano imagines his new factory and describes the layout to Karen. The workers in Dalmasso's factory are not happy about their working conditions and Mauro manages to placate them. Dalmasso notices his skill in dealing with people and has a new idea of a job for him.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Adriano's son Roberto has an idea he wants to develop, but Adriano is skeptical, at least at first. But Roberto knows how to tempt his father with good cocoa and this leads to an important meeting. While they are out, they discover that Mauro Barale is running for office.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Karen's report to her superiors about Olivetti's plans prompts some serious spying on his operation by the U.S. Mario Tchou explains his ideas to the new team of young engineers.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Adriano goes to Rome to try and get financing for his project. He is unpleasantly surprised to have to deal with someone he knows very well and with whom he had had a falling out.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
The factory in Pozzuoli is a success, but the company has taken financial risks, which may be why Adriano is having nightmares. Dalmasso is closely following Adriano's movements.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
The laboratory team is all excited as they come up with some great new innovations. They need more funding, however, and decide to demonstrate the results directly to the board.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Karen continues to do her work for the Americans, spying on Olivetti and the Community Movement. Dalmasso and Mauro are seriously trying to undermine Olivetti's efforts to get elected and to bring him to his knees financially.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
The election results have come out, and they're disappointing. Grazia gives Adriano all her support, and this gives him the hope he needs to push ahead with his dream.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
At the Olivetti home, it's Christmastime, and there's an air of celebration among the members of the extended family. Karen, who is listening in, is engulfed by feelings of nostalgia for her mother.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Christmas dinner is interrupted by a phone call from the plant, where engineers are working. Karen listens in. She then has an ominous meeting with the Americans.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Karen sends a clear message to Adriano and they meet. She has something important to tell him.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Mauro gets a political slap in the face. Olivetti is undergoing huge financial challenges and risks going under but Adriano doesn't lose hope.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
Adriano is on his way to Switzerland. Before he gets on the train, he exchanges a solemn few words with someone who used to be a friend.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Italy
If the name Olivetti is still known today, it's because Adriano Olivetti made an important contribution to the industry of electronics, but also to the ethics of industry in general.
Are you sure you want to delete this comment? You will not be able to recover it.