Little Han lives in the mountains with his great-grandmother, Auntie Han-hsiao. In rainy days, Little Han sits in front of the fireplace listening to Auntie Han-hsiao's colorful and mysterious tales. One day he sees an injured and dying sparrow. With sadness, he digs a small cave and buries it. Looking at the sparrows flying in the mountains, he hopes one day he can leave the mountains. However, when his mother Ali, who works in nightclubs, takes him to city to live with her, he has to face the endless quarrels and fights between Ali and his boyfriend, a man who exploits Ali's body to make money. In Auntie Han-hsiao's funeral, while the burnt ashes swirling in the wind, Little Han returns to Auntie Han-hsiao's bedroom and curls himself up in the bed like the sparrow he has buried.

小翰與含笑姨祖孫倆相依為命居於山城小鎮，在生靈萬物的照看下生活，他拾回一隻垂死麻雀並將牠下葬的那天，久別的母親阿麗帶來要接小翰同住的消息。

與母親來到城市，小翰踏入迥異於自然山林、複雜而混濁的世界。阿麗遭情人不告而別後，重操舊業回酒店上班，酒店少爺連仔成為載送阿麗接客的男友兼馬伕，並在一次爭吵中暴力相向，小翰因此被送回山上老家。老家房裡的含笑姨沉睡著，依偎在旁的小翰彷彿進入一場夢中，祖孫倆重返那座麻雀的小墳，但是墳已毀，鳥屍也不見蹤跡。

在徬徨無助中成長的小翰，在情感依賴中掙扎的阿麗，和澹然知命迎向凋零的含笑姨，一家三代，每個人就像是彼此的過去或未來；而關在籠中的野鳥，又能用多少力氣抵抗命運？