The film opens in a Dickensian orphanage in Russia, a fascinating miniature world presided over by a hierarchy of orphans. The daily routine is broken when "Madam" arrives to introduce a loving Italian couple hoping to adopt a child. The object of their interest is six year old Vanya, a handsome, bright-eyed little boy to whom the couple takes an instant liking. Everyone is envious of Vanya, for the adoption by the Italians will take him away from the harsh conditions of the orphanage and into a serene life under the Mediterranean sun. But when the mother of another orphan comes to reclaim her son, Vanya starts to have doubts and becomes determined to learn whether or not his own birth mother is out there, Willing to do whatever it takes to find her, he embarks on an heroic and dangerous quest that will take him into the heart of the country
