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