Adriano Olivetti - The Power of a Dream

Adriano, the son of Camillo Olivetti, began to manage the company very well, though he sometimes clashed with his father over his ideas, which were considered too revolutionary. One evening in 1943, Adriano managed to save Karen Bates, an Italian-American captain who was supposed to make contact with a group of partisans. However, the Nazis—though they found neither the captain nor any evidence of his presence—realized he was there and warned the Olivettis that they would no longer enjoy their previous privileges. Adriano flees to Switzerland, while his wife takes refuge with their children in Fiesole. The only one who remains in Ivrea is old Camillo, who feels his end is near (in fact, he dies within that same year). When the war ends, Adriano Olivetti takes the reins of the company again and continues the modernization of the factory from both an architectural and social standpoint.