This year marks the golden jubilee of the last eruption of Artemio's Fire, San Miguel's very own volcano. Tourists and locals alike are traveling north from the big city to the festival on the mountain. 

Jacinto Perez, lascivious music professor and violin virtuoso, seeks redemption in this pilgrimage. Mayor Silvestre Ocampo worries about containing the cult that is threatening his and the town's moment of glory. Confined to his old hacienda, Don Esteban is nearing the end of his life. His sister wonders how she will bear this loss, while his beautiful granddaughter Angelita Hernandez embarks on a dangerous and momentous journey to the mountain to see him one last time. 

But the most unexpected guest to the festival is the volcano itself, which has been lying in uneasy slumber for the past fifty years.