This quirky drama, by Argentinean director Maria Luisa Bemberg (Camila) mixes fantasy with grim realism in a fable about two outsiders who are drawn together in an isolated Latin American town in the 1930s.

When a wealthy widow learns that her daughter Charlotte is a dwarf, she burns copies of "Snow White" and then makes sure the girl is more educated than anyone else in the community. A world-weary stranger, Ludovico D'Andrea (Marcello Mastroianni) arrives in town and is immediately attracted to Charlotte who at 15 is an accomplished pianist.

After intimate conversations with her, he realizes she is the only one educated enough to appreciate his stories and wisdom. D'Andrea marries Charlotte and sets her on a path that will enable her to find her true place in the world. Bemberg has dedicated this film "to all people who have the courage to be different in order to be themselves."