Malena is a beautiful young woman living in a small Italian village during the second world war. As the local people become increasingly affected by the turmoil around them Malena becomes the unwanted focus of much lust and viscious gossip, her only defender and her only pure admirer young Renato Amoroso, a small lad who will follow Malena's hard journey and become inspired by her stoic courage. From the director of 'Cinema Paradiso', Malena is a beautiful and affecting drama very much in the spirit of his original film.