On a young waitress’s birthday, the perplexing appearance of one of her deceased mother’s homemade cakes deeply troubles her. Over her shift that evening, surrounded by happy families in the little restaurant where she works, memories of her mother crowd in, and her attempts to repress her emotions grow ever more difficult.

A strict examination process regulates the population’s meat consumption: those who want to eat meat must kill an animal. Young reporter Elie sets out to document the process at the slaughterhouse. However, only those who participate are allowed in. Elie must confront the act of killing.