Two men bond as one recovers from an attack and the other deals with the impending death of his grandmother.

In 1952, an Inuit hunter named Tivii with tuberculosis leaves his northern home and family to go recuperate at a sanatorium in Quebec City. Uprooted, far from his loved ones, unable to speak French and faced with a completely alien world, he becomes despondent. When he refuses to eat and expresses a wish to die, his nurse, Carole, comes to the realization that Tivii's illness is not the most serious threat to his well-being. She arranges to have a young orphan, Kaki, transferred to the institution. The boy is also sick, but has experience with both worlds and speaks both languages. By sharing his culture with Kaki and opening it up to others, Tivii rediscovers his pride and energy. Ultimately he also rediscovers hope through a plan to adopt Kaki, bring him home and make him part of his family

魁北克住着一位极有名望的教授，尼古拉·吉蒙。如今他年事已高，记忆减退，弯腰驼背。身为医生，是无法对自己的身体状况撒谎的。如果有人问他，今天的日子有什么特别之处时，他会说，失眠，十一点准时入睡，两个小时之后再次醒来，如此反复。面对生活琐事他感到一丝厌倦，然而，他热爱教学。这一天，一个女人的忽然拜访，拿出了十分具有纪念意义的物件，让吉蒙教授想到了他...