In 1919, in a small town under the crushing heat of summer, a war hero is held prisoner in an abandoned barracks. Outside, his mangy dog barks night and day. Not far off in the countryside, an extraordinarily intelligent young woman works the land, waiting and hoping. A judge whose principles have been sorely shaken by the war is coming to sort out this case of which it is better not to speak.

Paris, Boris and Alexis are trying to give a meaning to their idleness. In the countryside, Pierre is achieving his opera, which is a new take on the myth of Orpheus, while trying to forget Adelia, who just dumped him.

Valentin, a 19-year-old boy, entered his dorm room for the first time. In a box he finds old pictures that remind him of his childhood.

Captain Eloïse Gentil, of Caen police, hasn't been on speaking terms with her father Robert, an expert on WWII, for twenty years. But the two are brought together to investigate the death of James Crawley, a 91 year-old former GI, found tied to a pole and in his uniform, apparently executed "as an example".

Sibylle, a young Parisian with long teeth, intends to shine in her new job by buying a hardware store in the Basque Country to set up a supermarket. She imagines that she has "rolled" the old owner but the latter is under curatorship. Sibylle must therefore deal with Ramon, the nephew, to recover his money and sign as soon as possible. Otherwise, the ejection seat is assured. She will soon realize that the Basques do not intend to let themselves be made by a Parisian, however pretty she is.