Elizabeth Bishop travels to Rio de Janeiro to visit with Mary. The shy Elizabeth is overwhelmed by sensuality. She's the antithesis to Mary's dashing partner, architect Lota de Macedo Soares. Although freezing initially, the architect soon makes a drama to Elizabeth and the advances of Lota are finally succumbed to by the poet. Mary is covetous, but unconventional Lota is determined to have women at all costs. When Lota starts focus with her biggest project to date, designing Parque do Flamengo at Rio balance has been thrown off. Elizabeth accepts a instruction article in the ladies and the USA drift apart. Lota, at the other times brimming with self confidence, is inconsolable. This ceaseless triangle works out against the back ground of the military coup of 1964. Bishop's moving poems are at the Heart of a movie which exemplifies a Vital stage in the Life Span of the Pulitzer poet