Set in 1930s London, this movie tells the tale of orphans Pauline (
Emma Watson), Petrova (
Yasmin Paige), and Posy Fossil (
Lucy Boynton), who are adopted by their Great-Uncle Matthew, an eccentric explorer (
Richard Griffiths), and raised as sisters by his selfless niece, Sylvia Brown (
Emilia Fox). The story revolves around each girl's struggle to fulfill her dreams: Pauline longs to be an actress, Petrova yearns to be an aviator, and Posy seems born to be a ballerina. But when Great-Uncle Matthew disappears, the money runs out --- and the girls have a fight on their hands. They struggle to balance personal ambition with the need to survive physically, emotionally, and financially.
—BBC Press Office