Sofia leaves the city to a provincial town. There she meets Nico and the inhabitants of Casa Caracol, an alternative hostel in the middle of the jungle. Nodding party nights and brotherhood, Sofia falls in love with Nico and joins the "magical" village life.

In an unnamed Latin American country that closely resembles Mexico, the government fights a rural insurgency with torture, assault, rape, and murder. Soldiers descend on a town, cutting off the rebels from their cache of ammunition hidden in a field. A family of grandfather, son, and grandson are among the rebels in the hills. The grandfather, with his violin over his shoulder, tries to pass the checkpoint, ostensibly to tend his corn crop. The commanding officer lets him pass but insists on a daily music lesson.