Penned by Sergio G. Sánchez, the screenplay is based on the 2012 novel Palmeras en la nieve, by Luz Gabás.

[1] Kilian is a young man from the mountains of Huesca who, in 1954, returns to the island of Fernando Pó (present Bioko), where he was born.

Flash forward to 2003 Pasolobino, Spain, where Clarence is attending the funeral of her estranged father Jacobo.

While in Killian's office Clarence finds a journal, a half-torn picture and a torn note stating that money has been sent to an unidentified woman.

Clarence tells Julia that she will travel to Bioko in Equatorial Guinea to find out more about her father's life.

Flashing back to 1954, a young Kilian and Jacobo are saying goodbye to their mother and sister Catalina as they depart for Guinea.

On the ship to Bioko Kilian and Jacobo meet Manuel, the new resident doctor of the cocoa plantation estate.

Kilian attempts to introduce himself to her but gets distracted by noise from the bushes, where he discovers Gregorio with a native prostitute.

During the dinner party Nelson, an estate worker, arrives asking for Jacobo's help with a medical emergency.

Once in the car Jacobo reveals to Kilian that it was a ruse to leave the dinner party early to go to a night club called Santa Isabel.

Weeks later Anton, annoyed with Kilian's activities, takes him to visit Ose's village and introduces him to the Bubi people.

Filled with grief of his father's death, Kilian leaves Bioko and returns to Pasolobino for 3 years.

In present-day 2003, Clarence has arrived in Bioko, locates Antón's grave, and is introduced to Iniko, a plantation office employee.

While driving Clarence back to her hotel Iniko detours to pick up his younger brother, Laha, who has returned home from university in Spain.

Julia asks Kilian to assist her and Bisila with rescuing Gustavo, smuggling him through military checkpoints.

In 1964 Kilian's mother sends him a letter requesting he return to Spain due to his sister Catalina's declining health.

Kilian confronts Ose and Simón, they inform him of Bisila's rape, and warn him not to interfere, or Mosi will find out about their affair.

In 1968, a new president is elected for the newly independent Republic of Equatorial Guinea, and the Spanish colonists are being forced to leave.

Simón arrives and convinces the laborer not to kill Kilian as long as he leaves and takes Bisila with him at the end of her mourning.

The next day Julia, Manuel, Kilian, Bisila, and Nelson and his wife attempt to leave Bioko by boarding a ship to Spain, with other Spanish colonists and some locals.

One film reviewer emphasized that "they both have such excellent on-screen chemistry (the love which has blossomed from reel to real life too) that many times you can send ether penetrating love even through the yearning glances through the windows across the street or even during the lighting of a torch across the alley to indicate each other's presence.

[7] Critics to the film highlight that it did not properly address many of the themes related to colonialism even though it was the central focus of the movie.