Lots of us come up short when assessing our allure to someone we desire; in Décio’s case, the source of his low self-esteem is quite literally a matter of stature.

Décio is a little person in love with Lina, a normal-sized woman. He’s a successful horse trainer at the Rio de Janeiro jockey club; she operates a debt-ridden coffee shop. He’s plagued by shyness, while she’s so steeped in worries that she never smiles. Décio is so determined to draw that smile out of Lina that he’ll do anything—including venturing into stand-up comedy.

Written and co-directed by Pedro Antônio Paes and Alvaro Campos, High Expectations is a sweet modern romantic comedy about rising above our sense of personal deficiencies and walking tall, no matter our height.