Italy in the 1930s. It's the height of summer and 16-year-old Ginia is desperate for adventure. So begins a fateful friendship with Amelia, a stylish and sophisticated artist's model, who envelops her in a dazzling new world of bohemian artists and intoxicating freedom. Under the spell of her new friend, Ginia soon falls in love with Guido, an enigmatic young painter. It's the start of a desperate love affair, charged with false hope and overwhelming passion - destined to last no longer than the course of a summer.