It’s wartime. Gus and Lars, two enemy lieutenants in search of victory, find themselves in an abandoned music school. Both are locked in a classroom full of musical instruments. Only a wall separates the two soldiers. The attacks are fierce. When Gus runs out of ammunition, he taunts his enemy by banging on the snare drum on the wall. Lars retaliates with a trombone, making an unpleasant noise. A melody emerges as the exchange of sounds continues. The duel gradually turns into a duet…

Abandoned on the doorstep of a Montreal orphanage, Johanne Harrelle eventually rose to prominence as a gifted artist, actress, and one of North America's first Black models. Simply Johanne deftly explores her complex and audacious life through archival footage, interviews with loved ones and performances of her writings by three contemporary actresses. The film chronicles the journey of a magnetic and passionate woman who defied the expectations of her time.