The Simple Life 1946

Directed by Francesco De Robertis

Marco and his son Toto work in a Venetian gondola yard and maintain the old traditions of gondoliers. When a newly-arrived businessman decides he wants to buy the yard and demolish it, Marco and company want to fight to preserve their way of life. The businessman, however, knows Marco is badly in debt and uses this to try to leverage Marco out of business. Can tradition win out in the face of naked commercialism?