Boyfriend forces her to enter a brothel in order to support his lavish lifestyle

Italy's Trieste, 1957. A few months prior to the nationwide prohibition on brothels, untrained farm girl Mimma takes on the persona of Paprika in order to support her unworthy partner. Paprika floats from brothel to brothel among the bustle of Rome, picking up skills and advancing one client at a time. But even as Paprika sets out on a turbulent voyage of self-awareness and emancipation, she can't shake the feeling that something is lacking from her existence. Is romance Paprika's destiny, the answer to the great puzzle of real love