On December 31, 1958, a detective investigates the theft of a painting from the home of a wealthy widow in Havana. The relationship between the two, amid investigations and danzones, reveals the history of the house and the family. The arrival of the bearded men in Havana changes the course of events.

Various family members attend a wake in a crumbling national funeral home to grieve the loss of their eldest patriarch, a patriot and proponent for the Cuban communist revolution until his death.