Living in Tocopilla, Chile, young Alejandro must prove his bravery to his Communist father Jaime. He endures physical testing, with his father's strong approval. However, his behavior backslides when he collapses at a funeral, so he decides, in order to show his worth, to assassinate the right-wing president Carlos Ibáñez del Campo. The film is a mystical autobiography of Alejandro Jodorowsky's childhood that blends his personal history with metaphor, mythology, and poetry. It reflects his philosophy that reality is not objective, but rather a "dance" created by our own imaginations.