It is 1960 and Ferdinando Nobile, an Italian immigrant, arrives with his young wife Anna in the small town of Coya Sur – known for its saltpetre mines – in search of work. They had left Sicily under the Italian-Chilean colonisation agreement, but were primarily driven by the need to start a new life. Upon arriving in Chile, the inhabitants of Coya Sur nickname him Fernando Noble the Ugly, in contrast to his beautiful wife. Furthermore, he becomes the undisputed king of the village dance hall, attracting the admiring glances of women and the envy of men for his skills as a great dancer.