In 1908 on the Greek Island of Simi, Pascali, a spy for the Sultan of the Ottoman empire, watches as an Englishman (Charles Dance) arrives on the island. The newcomer claims to be an archaeologist, however, Pascali is sure there's more to the Englishman than meets the eye. And when the settler sets his eyes on Lydia Neuman (Helen Mirren), a woman Pascali has loved for many years, the tension between the two men boils under the melting Mediterranean sun.