In a coastal town in northern Spain, a young Greek teacher, Werther, lives alone in his ancestors' old house on the other side of the bay. He is a romantic and melancholic man who agrees to tutor the son of a wealthy shipowner, who happens to be an introverted and difficult child. Werther becomes attracted to Carlota, the boy's mother, who is a strong and independent woman, and will no longer be able to live without her.
