Nobleman Jean-Francois de la Plaine is exiled to serve as governor of a West African colony.
Thierry drops out of school to apprentice as a lion tamer at the zoo where he meets Roselyne, who shares his passion. They fall in love and when he loses his job, the young lovers journey across France finding odd jobs at several circuses. In Germany, they fall under the tutelage of ageing big cat trainer, Klint, and while they are closer to realising their dreams, they find that their success drivers them part.
A man who survives an earthquake is convinced that there is another man still stuck in the debris.
