Juan Ortega belongs to a gypsy community. His family are famous toreros, but Juan is destined for another fate: at age 15, he leaves to become a cook in the hacienda of Ignacio, a torero with a glorious reputation.
Juan soon discovers the buzzing artistic of Madrid. He meets García Lorca and Encarnación, a flamenco dancer and Ignacio’s lover, with whom Juan falls in love. While Spain writhes in the torments of war, these four friends will be visited by tragedy. In 1939, Juan and Encarnación lose sight of one another at the French border. While the war gives Juan his hour of glory, his sole desire is to find Encarnación and prove to her that he is worthy of her love.