A young immigrant woman learns she is going blind and tries to raise money for an operation to save her son's sight, but after being betrayed by a friend she retreats into a fantasy world similar to Hollywood musicals.

Selma, a Czechoslovakian immigrant, is a single mother working in a factory in rural America circa 1964. She is also afflicted by a hereditary disease, which will cost her her sight. Determined to protect her 10-year-old son from the same fate, Selma is saving her money to get him an operation. In the evenings, Selma escapes by rehearsing for a production of The Sound of Music with her best friend. When a neighbor betrays her trust, Selma's life spirals...