This excerpt comes from the film La Vita Inutile (1964-1965) by Mauro Mingardi. The scene takes place inside a house, where the protagonist, played by Mingardi himself, arrives and is greeted by his girlfriend. They sit down at the table with her family, but the atmosphere is imbued with irony and incommunicability. Despite the convivial moment, the protagonist encounters the impassive stares of the family members as they eat broth with bread. The act of uncorking the sparkling wine proves difficult and symbolic.