While watching a Chinese Opera performance, a little girl wanders away from her mother.

On an unremarkable weekday afternoon, the film follows eight-year-old Dawn as she spends her birthday planning the perfect surprise, only to be surprised herself.

Liyah, a single mother, caught between the responsibilities of caring for her Alzheimer’s-stricken mother and raising her 12-year-old daughter, discovers that an enchanted cello can briefly restore her mother’s memories, but at the cost of her daughter’s hearing. Although the music temporarily brings warmth and clarity to her mother, Liyah clings onto the false hope, building tension between her and her daughter, forcing her to choose between the two.