Fisherman Quino and his wife Juana live in abject poverty. When he finds a large pearl at the bottom of the sea, Quino sees a chance for a better life for his family, but it also awakens the greed of various people who are keen to seize the jewel. Conceived as an international project, La Perla was developed in collaboration with the author of the original novel, John Steinbeck, and was one of the first big successes in Mexican cinema for prestigious producer Óscar Dancigers, sweeping the board at the 1948 Ariel Awards.