In a French prison camp during World War II, José Garcés, a defeated Spanish Republican army soldier, lifts the morale of his fellow prisoners by recounting a story from his childhood in 1911, in a small town in northeastern Spain. At the age of 8, José was a mischievous and adventurous boy, always getting into trouble and pining for his neighbor Valentina. He would send secret messages to her using semaphore flags on his rooftop and write poetry. However, his actions would often put him and others in danger, such as the time he accidentally killed Valentina's father's prized pigeons. While camping with his family at a decaying castle, José's tutor, a kind priest, teaches him about the qualities of the greatest heroes, saints, and poets, inspiring him to become a hero in his own right.
Valentina
José Garcés recounts a nostalgic tale of his childhood in 1911, in a small town in northeastern Spain, where he was just 8 years old, to lift the spirits of his fellow prisoners in a French prison camp in 1939.
