A gentle Jewish-Italian waiter Guido Orefice (Roberto Benigni) meets Dora (Nicoletta Braschi), a pretty schoolteacher, and wins her over with his charm and humor. Eventually they marry and have a son, Giosué (Giorgio Cantarini). Their happiness is abruptly halted, however, when Guido and Giosué are separated from Dora and taken to a concentration camp. Determined to shelter his son from the horrors of his surroundings, Guido convinces Giosué that their time in the camp is merely a game. The film won three Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Roberto Benigni and Best Foreign Film.