Théo, West Indian, is hired as cleaner in the toilets of a shopping mall. With his colleagues, I-Free and Mrs Saint-Rose, a difficult mission awaits him: regild the image of this establishment invaded by a rather unusual clientele.

Martinique, in the early 1930s. Young José and his grandmother live in a small village. Nearly everyone works cutting cane and barely earning a living. The overseer can fine a worker for the smallest infraction. The way to advance is to do well in school. José studies hard and succeeds in an exam allowing him to attend school in the capital. With only a partial scholarship, the tuition is very costly. José and his grandmother move to Fort-de-France to make José's studies easier...