Twenty-five-year old Lola lives in New York, where she works for the postal service while dreaming of a dancing career. Youssef, her best friend, is a young, gay Egyptian who has come to live in New York exactly the way he wants. Through him, Lola learns of Ismahan, a star of oriental dance and a true legend in Cairo.
In the restaurant where Youssef works, Lola meets another Egyptian, Zack, and they start up a relationship.
The honeymoon quickly comes to an end, however, when Zack becomes aware of the cultural differences separating them and he returns to Egypt. Without thinking, Lola, as impetuous as she naïve, immediately decides to join him.
After arriving in Cairo, where she’s as disappointed by the reception she receives from Zack’s family as she is by his attitude toward her, she gets it into her head to find the fascinating dancer Ismahan.