The film "Prisoners of Paradise," an adaptation of a novel by Booker nominee Romesh Gunesekera, is set in 1925 colonial Mauritius. The story focuses on 17-year-old Lucy, an upper-class Englishwoman portrayed by Ellie Bamber, who moves to her uncle George's sugar plantation after her mother's death.
On the plantation, Lucy meets Krishna, a local man of Indian heritage played by Mehdi Dehbi, who works in the fields. Lucy's uncle, George (Rupert Penry-Jones), holds views on racial superiority, and the film depicts the casual racism present in his social circle.
Lucy is reportedly appalled by her uncle's beliefs and the racism she encounters. She and Krishna begin to meet in secret, despite her uncle's hopes for her to marry a wealthy Frenchman, Antoine (Edward Akrout), to save his failing plantation.