A retired army officer immerses himself in creating an honorary parade for the world war that ended over a decade prior. In his obsessions with recognizing the past, his present relationship with his family becomes strained.

A Vietnamese-Australian writer at the Iowa Writer’s Workshop receives a visit from his estranged father. With his final story due in a few days, he looks to his father’s life for inspiration.

Mourning the death of their brother, two sisters bring back his ghost by inflicting cruel pranks on each other.

An American visits his family in Spain as the Spanish Civil War erupts. Familial tensions emerge as he argues against war with his wounded cousin, who served for the Nationalists.