Erwan is a young man from Brittany, a sailor and worker at the shipyard. He goes out with Clara. After cheating on her, he develops a strange form of guilt.

He is the talk of the town, the most romantic figure of decadent Parisian nights. When his lungs start bleeding, Chopin knows his days are numbered. Composing becomes his only obsession. The ticking clock rushes him to revolutionize music.