Giuseppe Abbagnale

The opening ceremony of the Barcelona Summer Olympics took place on July 25, 1992, at the Montjuïc Olympic Stadium before an audience of over 65,000. This historic event was largely orchestrated by the renowned Catalan troupe La Fura dels Baus, which staged spectacular scenes depicting the history of the Mediterranean and the Labours of Hercules. Music played a central role in the evening, featuring great operatic voices; the audience was captivated by performances from Montserrat Caballé, José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, Alfredo Kraus, and Teresa Berganza. Although he had passed away the previous year, Freddie Mercury was also present—both on screen and in voice—through the broadcast of their iconic duet "Barcelona," which became the definitive anthem of the Games. Additionally, British pop star Sarah Brightman performed the official anthem, "Amigos Para Siempre," alongside José Carreras.

Maciste, the first, the one who appeared in Pastrone's film, Cabiria (1916), leaves the screen, evoked by the critic and film historian Steve Della Casa. He wants to know who he is and what he did. Della Casa will help him find his other self, that Bartolomeo Pagano, a camallo (unloader) from the port of Genoa who saw his life transformed by the meeting with the director Pastrone.