The story begins at a lavish birthday party for a powerful Japanese businessman, Mr. Hosokawa, where the renowned opera singer Roxanne Coss has been invited to perform. However, the party is taken over by a group of young, mostly indigenous terrorists who are seeking to negotiate with the country's president.

As the hostage situation drags on for months, the relationships between the hostages and terrorists evolve in surprising ways. Roxanne's daily singing performances bring beauty and transformation to the tense situation, and the hostages and terrorists begin to form unexpected bonds and even some romantic attachments.