The journey of Christian Lafayette, a French soldier who, in the aftermath of a murderous ambush in Afghanistan, has returned to France. Soon mixed up in trafficking opium with Mounir, his brother-in-arms who was wounded in the ambush, Lafayette, a foster child, and tormented war hero, chooses a new family and life – a criminal’s life. To escape this vicious circle of violence, Christian has to learn how to love.

Marguerite and Coline fall in love at their local swimming pool, where they kiss for the first time. The stopwatch starts and there already is not much time left. Hold your breath depicts five pictures, five memories, five phases of their story.