Emily Wang (Maggie Cheung) is a woman who dreams of becoming a singer, but who struggles with being a mother, & with her life after her partner Lee's (James Johnston) death. Stuck in a desolate motel room in Hamilton, Ontario, & with a past full of drugs, regret, & a recent six-month jail term, the only thing she desires for the future is a loving relationship with her son Jay, who is being cared for by Lee's parents, Albrecht (Nick Nolte) & Rosemary (Martha Henry). While Rosemary blames Emily for the death of Lee, Albrecht recognizes the importance of the bond between a mother & her son, & his faith sets the standard for the faith Emily must find in herself. Emily sets off to Paris, London & San Francisco (the film following her in English, French & Cantonese), as she battles for a place in a world reluctant to forget the woman she has been & unwilling to accept her as the woman she longs to be.