The story of Adem, a poor and hunchbacked man who follows the legendary Pirebok, prompted to him in childhood, to start a family, and his paths cross with a woman who managed to survive with her daughter fleeing the war and took refuge in a neighboring country.

Before the Night portrays ordinary life under the enduring state of emergency, from the perspective of its three characters. Gulbîn, a painter living with her parents, is trying to make her own way in life, while obsessively painting a portrait of her mum with inspiration from Whistler's painting Mother. The mother models for her daughter while trying to insulate her house from the noise of the bombs to no avail. The father, whose health is deteriorating, tries to reimagine his war-stricken city with old photographs he took.

Osman can understand his mother tongue, Kurdish, but cannot speak it, and he speaks Turkish, which happens to be his second language, but cannot understand it. As a result of this condition of his, Osman starts to fail at handling two concurrent tasks. Just like he cannot respond to his patrons while he is working, he cannot engage in a conversation with his friends whilst they are having coffee together. Even though he wants to get married, he fails at sustaining a long-term relationship with women whom he meets. Osman’s life starts to change after a customer tells him that she could help him with his obsession.

Megalomaniac Süleyman, who works as security guard, wishes a congratulatory visit to the new rector. Süleyman tells his wife about his fake friendship with the rector although his appointment is not answered yet. Suleyman, finally entering the rector’s office, realizes that he has gotten himself into trouble, but it is too late.