Giorgio Perlasca was an Italian cattle dealer who was sympathetic to the fascist cause until September 8, 1943. Perlasca was in Budapest, Hungary, on a business trip when he had the opportunity to see first hand how Hungarian Jews were being treated by German occupying forces. Shocked by the cruelty and violence he saw, Perlasca had a sudden change of heart, and hatched a plan to help the Jews escape to freedom by impersonating a Spanish consul. As a result of Perlasca's brave actions, the lives of five thousand people were spared that day. Perlasca is a historical drama originally produced for Italian television which reenacts Perlasca's remarkable true story; Luca Zingaretti leads the cast as the daring Italian businessman.