While Italy is not generally known as a bastion of tolerance for gays and lesbians (it's one of the few countries in the European Union that has failed to pass legislation protecting GLBT rights), Italian filmmaker Stefano Consiglio presents portraits of happy and productive same-sex couples living in Europe in this documentary. Gino and Massimo are two men from Palermo who have been in love for three decades, while in Paris, Catherine and Christine are both past 60 and have spent twenty years as partners. In Versailles, Nathalie and Valérie share their home and their lives with their daughter Sasha. Alessandro and Marco are two young men who have found love while pursing their studies at a college in Catania. Sutri, not far from Rome, is home to Lillo and Claudio, while Emiliana and Lorenza set up housekeeping years ago in a cottage near Parma. In Berlin, Thomas and Johan talk about their lives together, and Maria and Marisol are partners settled in Barcelona. And Gaël and William are Parisians who have been enjoying their personal and professional relationships for years. As Consiglio allows these couples to share their stories, a common theme emerges: these are all people who love one another, and their love has enriched and sustained them, as it does in all successful relationships. L'Amore e Basta was an official selection at the 2009 Venice International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi