In the spirit of North-South exchanges, Europe sends its young to work in North Africa with the goal of transforming a riad in to a multi-ethnic arts centre; a kind of rural lodge where many students live together. Lucas, a young Frenchman, sets off from Marseilles to spend his holidays in the country of A Thousand and One Nights. Without much money, he travels in last class. On the boat, he meets Karim, a young traveller returning home, who owns a little hotel close to the souk in the capital's medina. He offers to let Lucas stay in his luxurious cabin, introducing him to arab hospitality and local customs.