My Friends: Act IV – How It All Began

Set in fifteenth-century Florence during a plague epidemic, this comedy follows five friends named Jacopo, Duccio, Cecco, Manfredo, and Filippo. While spending time at the court of Lorenzo de' Medici, the group engages in various pranks and tricks. Their primary goal is to avoid the responsibilities of adulthood and maintain the freedom of their youth, using the chaos of the epidemic as an opportunity for further mischief.

Directed by Neri Parenti, this was the thirteenth of fifteen films he directed, following Merry Christmas and preceding Holiday on Mars. The screenplay was written by Parenti along with Piero De Bernardi and Fausto Brizzi. The film features a cast including Christian De Sica, Michele Placido, Paolo Hendel, Giorgio Panariello, Massimo Ghini, and Massimo Ceccherini.

Produced by Filmauro with a budget of 15 million USD, the film earned 3 million USD at the worldwide box office. Audience reception was generally poor, as reflected in the ratings. It holds a 3.2/10 on IMDb based on 558 votes and a 4.1/10 on TMDB from 98 votes.