Buenos Aires, November 2001. Argentina is in crisis, with the Peso plunging. Julio Färber, the charismatic bandoneon player of a five-piece working-class tango band, is earning less from concerts and his traditional shoe shop.
As he decides to leave his beloved Buenos Aires forever, it seems that life is conspiring against him: overnight, the government freezes all bank accounts in the country, preventing him from getting flight tickets and sparking violent protests throughout the town.
Mariela, a young cab driver, crashes into his car, damaging his last possessions before stealing his heart...