After the death of her husband, Lilia's life revolves solely around her teenage daughter, Salma. Whilst looking for Salma late one night, Lilia stumbles upon a belly dance cabaret and though initially reserved and taken aback by the culture of the place, Lilia gets consistently drawn back to it. She befriends one of the belly dancers and is encouraged into dancing for the audience. Lilia also starts a romance with one of the cabaret's musicians, who unbeknown to both of them, is also romancing Salma.

Aïcha is a rebellious village girl in her twenties who works in a clothing factory and dreams of a better life. Her lover, Mourad, had left her and emigrated to Europe, which led her to retreat into isolation. Adam is a young and disillusioned doctor who cannot bear his dull and lifeless daily routine, caught between the suffering of his patients and his own loneliness. On a whim, he decides to leave everything behind and accept a job in a remote, barren village, in search of tranquility and an escape from haunting memories. There, he encounters Aïcha, who brings movement and vitality into his otherwise quiet new life.