Adela, a 43-year-old spinster who lives alone in an isolated northern provincial Spanish village, spends her days sewing and doing charity work.

Never feeling particularly attracted to men, she is waited upon in her home by her faithful maid, Isabel (whom she affectionately calls Isabelita), who adores her.

One day, the local bank manager starts to court Adela and sets his sights on marriage.

After trying to obtain income with no identity card, Juan runs into Isabel, working as a waitress in a local coffee shop.

[2] The previous year, José Luis López Vázquez won the Silver Hugo Award for Best Actor at the Chicago International Film Festival.