意大利南部小镇，古灵精怪的小男孩多多（萨瓦特利·卡西欧 饰）喜欢看电影，更喜欢看放映师艾佛特（菲利浦·诺瓦雷 饰）放电影，他和艾佛特成为了忘年之交，在胶片中找到了童年生活的乐趣。 
　　好心的艾佛特为了让更多的观众看到电影，搞了一次露天电影，结果胶片着火了，多多把艾弗达从火海 中救了出来，但艾弗达双目失明。多多成了小镇唯一会放电影的人，他接替艾佛特成了小镇的电影放映师。 
　　多多（马克·莱昂纳蒂 饰）渐渐长大，他爱上了银行家的女儿艾莲娜（阿格妮丝·那诺 Agnese Nano 饰）。初恋的纯洁情愫美如天堂，但是一对小情侣的海誓山盟被艾莲娜父亲的阻挠给隔断了，多多去服兵役，而艾莲娜去念大学。伤心的多多在艾佛特的鼓励下，离开小镇，追寻自己生命中的梦想…… 
　　30年后，艾佛特去世，此时的多多已经是功成名就的导演，他回到了家乡，看到残破的天堂电影院，追忆往昔，唏嘘不已。多多意外地遇见了艾莲娜，往日种种，真相大白，他们如何面对彼此？

Alfredo: Living here day by day, you think it's the center of the world. You believe nothing will ever change. Then you leave: a year, two years. When you come back, everything's changed. The thread's broken. What you came to find isn't there. What was yours is gone. You have to go away for a long time… many years… before you can come back and find your people. The land where you were born. But now, no. It's not possible. Right now you're blinder than I am.

阿尔夫莱多：在这里居住了一天又一天，你认为这里就是世界的中心。你相信一切都永不会改变。然后你离开了，一年，两年，当你回来时，一切都变了。那条线断了，你所寻找的并不是这里。你只能再次离开很长时间……很多年……直到你能回来寻找你的人们，你出生的土地。但是现在不可能。现在你比我还要瞎。

Salvatore: Who said that? Gary Cooper? James Stewart? Henry Fonda? Eh?

萨尔瓦多：这些是谁说的？加里·库帕？詹姆士·斯图尔特？亨利·福达？嗯？

Alfredo: No, Toto. Nobody said it. This time it's all me. Life isn't like in the movies. Life… is much harder

阿尔夫莱多：不是，多多，没有人说过。这次是我自己说的。生活并不像电影，生活……更艰难。

If you don't walk out, you will think that this is the whole world.

如果你不出去走走，你就会以为这就是全世界。

Salvatore:Just that i've always been afraid to come back.And now,after all these years ,I thought I was stronger… that I'd forgottena lot of things. But in fact…I find I'm right backwhere I was…as if I'd never been away.Yet,when I look around ,I don't recognize anyone. And you,Mama…I deserted you.Ran out on you like a banditwithout any explanation.

萨尔瓦多：有件事，我一直想说其实我很害怕回来。这么多年了，我应该更坚强，更放得开，但事实上，我发现我只是回到了原点仿佛没有离开过。然而，当我环顾四周，我不认识任何人。而你，妈妈我离弃了你。我什么都没解释就跑了

His Mama:I never asked for any.You don't have to explain to me.I always thought it was goodwhat you did.Why harp on it?You were right to leave. You did what you wanted to do.When I call you,a different woman always answers.But I never heard in any of their voices… that they really loved you. I would've known. All the same ,I'd have liked to see you settled… Loving someone. But your life is there. Here there are only ghosts. Let go,Toto.

你不用向我解释，我也不需要你的解释。我一直相信你是对的，你何必耿耿于怀呢？你走是对的，你达成了心愿。当我打电话给你，总是不同的女人来接，但我从来没有听到其他任何声音她们真的爱你，我都知道，有时真想看到你安定下来，有心爱的人，但是你是属于罗马，这里太阴沉了。忘了她吧，多多。