Year 1575. The young Miguel de Cervantes, wounded in naval combat, is captured on the high seas on his way back to Spain by Algerian corsairs. Miguel, aware that a cruel death awaits him in Algiers if his ransom is not paid soon, discovers an unexpected refuge in the art of storytelling. His fascinating tales restore hope to his fellow prisoners and eventually attract the attention of Hassan, the mysterious and dreaded Bajah of Algiers, with whom he begins to develop a strange affinity. As conflicts grow among his desperate companions, Miguel, driven by his unshakable optimism, begins to devise a daring escape plan.