1979: Cousins Carole and Jérôme go on an organized trip to Odessa, behind the Iron Curtain. During the day, posing as tourists celebrating their engagement, they visit monuments and museums. In the evening they slip away from the group and meet “refuseniks”, Jews persecuted by the Soviet regime for wanting to leave the country. While Carole is motivated by political commitment and a taste for risk, Jérôme’s motivation is Carole.

A whole Bobrov family suddenly become superheroes...

Odessa, August 1970. A heat wave. The city is full of tourists. Boris, a journalist and foreign affairs specialist, and his eight-year-old son Valeri arrive from Moscow to visit Boris’ in-laws, Grigori Iosifovich and Raisa Irovna Davidov. But on the day of their arrival, Odessa declares a quarantine due to a cholera outbreak, and the city is closed off. Having come for a few days, the son-in-law is plunged into a world changed by serious danger. Family secrets will be disclosed, improbable events happen, and a great forbidden love starts.