A Woman as a Friend

Francesco and Claudia are young, good-looking, successful in their careers, and close friends. An awkward and funny criminal lawyer, he has been Claudia’s best friend for years. She, a veterinarian, has moved to Lecce because of her Apulian half-breed, and to be closer to her half-sister Anna.
A free spirited non-conformist, Claudia is cheerful, exuberant, and unfathomable. There are no secrets between them. They share everything, and have fun together like kids. She even has the keys to Francesco’s home, and comes and goes as she pleases. But when Claudia meets Giovanni, a forest ranger who courts her and is completely taken with her, Francesco finds himself forced to deal with situations he could not have foreseen, until Claudia tells him she intends to marry Giovanni. Francesco begins to assimilate the discomfort and jealousy he feels, and can no longer hide from himself that his friendship with Claudia is of a different kind. But now it’s a done deal: Claudia marries Giovanni. All he can do is decide to date other women. When he meets Lia, it finally appears to be the love story that will soon lead him into a happy relationship. But Claudia breaks back into his life, asking him for help. Her relationship with Giovanni has turned out to be stormy and unhappy. This time, Francesco will perhaps find the courage to leave himself exposed, and deal once and for all with the eternal dilemma: Can there be friendship between man and woman?