Uruguay 1966. When the mother of his illegitimate daughter Masangeles (7) commits suicide, influential politician Aurelio Saavedra (43) sees no other possibility than to take the girl home with him. His wife Aurora (43) won't get over it. Dropped in a household of egoistic madmen, Masangeles quickly understands that her only chance of surviving will be adapting to the situation. Meanwhile outside the house, the country is falling apart in a civil war between untrained guerillas and a cruel army. Five years later, Masangeles, then 13, discovers Santiago's secret passageway that leads to the church and serves as a hideaway for people, weapons and stolen money. When Masangels realises she's got feelings for Santiago, she seduces him. In the meantime, Santiago is sought-after by the military and has to flee. Not much later Masangeles finds out she's pregnant. On the day of the military coup, Santiago is arrested. The truck in which he's transported, explodes in front of his family's house, setting it on fire. The fire quickly spreads and it is at this very moment that Masangeles is' about to give birth to her baby. The only solution is to use the secret passageway...