Christmas 1999, in a peaceful little village in the Ardennes. The life of a young boy named Antoine will soon be devastated by three tragic events : the death of a dog, the vanishing of a child, and a big ravaging storm.

An African high school teacher flees his war-torn country for France, where he falls in love with a Frenchwoman who offers a roof for him and his family.

Fresh out of jail, Ulysse has only one idea in mind: making money. Confronted by his depressed mother, Gabrielle, the bills that never stop piling up and his desire to live his life to the full, he makes a plan. With his best friend, David, he'll travel...