Many churches in Venice are closed to the public. Jean-Paul Kauffmann investigates this sealed-off world where masterpieces stand in silence.

Many churches in Venice are locked and closed to the public. Jean-Paul Kauffmann tries to force open these heavy doors and enter a world where masterpieces stand in silence. Renting a small flat in the Giudecca, he begins his investigation, meeting many colorful characters along the way. Venice has a particular significance for Jean-Paul Kauffmann. When he was being held hostage in Lebanon for three years, he drew strength from some small details of his life - one of them the memory of a painting he'd seen in Venice, many years ago. He could no more recall its title than he could the name of the church it was in. Once freed, he made many trips to Venice in order to find this painting.