Once upon a time there was a man. He was a "shy, quiet man who loved the warm wide embrace of a large room perhaps because it allowed for private solitude", a suspicious man, who was afraid to cross a square or enter a bar, fearful of finding himself the focus of numerous looks from inquisitive strangers. Once upon a time there was "an old school director " who combined a moral and conservative approach to filmmaking, with scrupulous professionalism, skillful craftsmanship of the language of images, respect for the public’s wishes and a belief in "communicating with the masses" . This is the cinematographic journey of "Pietro Germi: The good the beautiful, the ugly," From the end of neo-realist to the invention of Comedy - Italian style , from the impeccable construction of genre films to experimentation with new paths. The man with the cigar in his mouth and ‘his trousers turned up’ as he is described – is rediscovered through the testimonies of his actors - Claudia Cardinale, Lando Buzzanca, Virna Lisi, Stefania Sandrelli, his peers - Carlo Lizzani, Pupi Avati, historians -Mario Sesti and Adriano Apra, collaborators and family members. A portrait that reveals the remarkable cinematic work of the "Great Carpenter”, a nickname given by Federico Fellini to his friend Pietro Germi.