Bila, a young peasant, decides to go to Ivory Coast to work and is asked by his parents to accompany Pogbi who is going to meet her fiancé, through an arranged marriage, for the first time. However, Pogbi is in love with Rasmane, a pariah from the smiths' caste, and runs away.

A village elder veteran expecting his pension buys a mill on credit for the community, but the repeated requests are ignored by the government bring back his fighting spirit.