Four Neapolitan and a Tunisian fishermen risk their lives by fishing in waters not far from Sicily. Before long, the camorra learns of their actions, and their licenses to fish the local waters are revoked. With nowhere to turn, they head back to North African waters, but the behavior of one member of the crew starts to endanger the others on board. The partially improvised dialogue by the cast of mostly untrained actors is delivered in the local Neapolitan dialect, which lends great authenticity to the story.

Sally, the wife of a Marine serving in Vietnam, decides to volunteer at a local veterans' hospital to occupy her time. There, she meets Luke Martin, a frustrated, wheelchair-bound vet who has become disillusioned with the war. Sally and Luke develop a friendship that soon turns into a romance.

Adapted from a series of short stories by Norwegian author Levi Henriksen, Bent Hamers Home for Christmas weaves together the lives of people struggling to find their way home on a Christmas Eve, beneath the colors of the Northern Lights. The plot unfolds during a few afternoon hours on Christmas Eve. The individual stories, which at times intertwine, are set in the small town Skogli. The characters in the stories cover a great range in age and life situations, representing both reconciliation with their own lives and strong frustration. Some show the will to understand and do something about their lives, while others have given up. Deeply tragic and melancholy aspects are mixed with humour and rather frivolous solutions.

During World War II, the Italian submarine Macalle was shipwrecked in the Red Sea, near the coast of Sudan. 45 crew members ended up on a deserted island. NCO Carlo Acefalo died on the island, being buried by his mates there. Nearly 80 years later, a team arrives at the site and rescues Carlo's remains, taking them back to his home village, Castiglione Falletto, for a funeral ceremony attended by almost the entire village.

Sisters Kate and Melanie haven’t spoken to each other in years since a hurtful scene at Melanie’s wedding. Their parents, Wendy and Al, have let the pain of their daughters’ absence drive a wedge between them, and their tensions have led to a separation. Kate is determined to reunite the entire family for Christmas, and has the perfect spot… their old family home. The only problem is there’s someone else living there now.