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In 1951, Elizabeth Bishop, a poet from New York, travels to Rio de Janeiro to visit her college friend Mary. The meek Elizabeth is overwhelmed by the sexiness of the Brazilians. She is the antithesis of Lota de Macedo Soares, Mary's dashing partner and architect. Although initially cool, the architect increasingly pursues Elizabeth, and the poet eventually gives in to Lota's advances. Mary feels envious, but Lota is eager to have both women regardless of the cost. When Lota begins designing Rio's Parque do Flamengo, her largest job to date, their ménage à trois is thrown off balance. Elizabeth accepts a teaching position in the United States, causing the women to separate. Lota, who is often bursting with self-assurance, is distraught. The 1964 military takeover provides the backdrop for this everlasting triangle. Bishop's evocative poetry are the focal point of a film that vividly depicts a pivotal period in the life of a famous Pulitzer Prize-winning poet.