Anna, of Portuguese descent, lives in Arles where she works at the railway station, waits for trains to shunt in and out, operates the track signals. She casually goes from man to man without ever becoming attached. Only one man gets under her skin, makes her want to drag him into her solitude. In vain: they sleep together and, a few days later, the man leaves her forever. Anna, now pregnant, eventually gives birth to twins, Maria and Magdalena, who she abandons three months later. The two sisters are taken in by a couple who raise them separately, believing that the girls will blossom and experience a better life when not living in each other’s shadow...