The arrival in France of the first generation of Algerian immigrants. In the early sixties, Kader, soon joined by his wife Myriam, tries to build a new life on French soil. Like many other couples, they soon find themselves torn between the dream of returning to their homeland and that of prospering in a land that is not always welcoming.

François Maurey, the head of a computer company, has developed a product that's sought after by the Americans, but he refuses to sell it to them. While his wife Caroline is preparing to leave him after 25 years of marriage, François has to face various people in his life, including new arrival, Florence, a troubled and mysterious young woman who enters François's life and causes havoc.