[1] The film is inspired by the book by the Italian journalist and writer Roberto Festorazzi, D'Annunzio e la piovra fascista, first published by Minotauro in 2005 and republished by Silicio-Editoriale Lombarda in 2020.

Shortly after his appointment, Achille Starace entrusted him with a crucial mission because of his flair for poetry: he was to get into the good graces of the great poet Gabriele D'Annunzio and spy on him for the regime.

The Vate, now old, lives in complete seclusion; lost in the memory of his past glories, he limits his public outings to a minimum and is addicted to cocaine.

In 1937, on the death of Guglielmo Marconi, D'Annunzio was appointed ex officio president of the Accademia d'Italia; the Vate, meanwhile, began to show signs of imbalance and impatience.

D'Annunzio, distraught, ends up having a mental and physical breakdown, after which he says goodbye to his friend Comini forever, revealing that opposing the war is his duty and that he will try again when he goes to Rome to accept the post of President of the Academy.