Oliverio (Darío Grandinetti), a bohemian Argentine poet living in Buenos Aires, scrapes by writing commercial slogans while wandering through surreal encounters and casual sexual encounters. Obsessed with an absolute ideal, he rejects any woman who cannot literally "fly" during intimacy. His poetic search takes him across the River Plate to Montevideo, Uruguay, where he meets Ana (Sandra Ballesteros), a cabaret prostitute. Ana matches Oliverio's intellect, independence, and passion, charging him for her time while challenging his worldview. As Oliverio falls genuinely in love with her, he must confront his fear of emotional vulnerability, death personified (Nacha Guevara), and the reality of love outside his idealistic poetry.