A young country girl comes to town and works in a brothel in order to help her fiance get the money to start his own business. "Paprika" is the name given to her by the madam.

Trieste, Italy, 1957. A few months before the general ban on brothels, inexperienced country girl Mimma becomes Paprika to finance her worthless boyfriend as a prostitute. Amid the hustle and bustle of Rome, Paprika drifts from one brothel to another as she learns the ropes and works her way up one client at a time. However, as Paprika embarks on a stormy journey of self-discovery and sexual liberation, the sense that something is missing in life haunts her. Is Paprika meant to experience a passionate romance and solve the great mystery of true love?—Nick Riganas