On a cold winter night, just before Christmas, 16-year-old orphan Nick runs away from an institution in the Ardennes. During his escape, he meets Leon, a down-and-out comedian. The two don't hit it off right away. Nevertheless, Leon will help Nick find his grandmother Alice.

Gaston grew up on the fringes of society and interacts with other people as little as possible. Leo, on the other hand, is a very bourgeois person. He lives way above his station, but has a heart of gold. Using forged cheques and unsecured credit cards, he tries to keep up appearances. By a coincidence, Gaston's fate is linked to Leo's.