In 1951, New York poet Elizabeth Bishop travels to Rio de Janeiro to meet her fellow studentMary. A shy Elizabeth becomes overwhelmed by Brazilian sensuality. She is the antithesis of Mary's dashing companion, architect Lota de Macedo Soares. Mary is jealous, but the unconventional Lota is determined to have both women at all costs. This eternal love triangle plays out against the backdrop of the 1964 military coup. Bishop's moving poems take centrestage in the film, which lushly illustrates a crucial phase in the life of this influential Pulitzer Prize-winning poet.