Guido Anselmi (Marcello Mastroianni) is a director whose film—and life—are collapsing around him. He finds himself suffering from "director's block", and is under pressure to finish a film he has been directing. He is supposed to be directing an ill-defined science fiction film. But he has lost his passion and overall interest in the insipid project which is even more exacerbated by artistic and marital difficulties at home. Coupling that, he is constantly badgered by people from his past films looking for work on his newer projects. As Guido struggles half-heartedly to work on the film, a series of flashbacks and partial dreams delve into his memories and fantasies. Guido reminisces on the women he’s loved and left in his life. And slowly his dreams become frequently interwoven and Guido winds up confusing his fantasy world with the real one.