Samia is a teenage girl belonging to a family of Algerian Muslims who have settled in the southern French town of Marseilles. Although lured by the pleasures and opportunities that contemporary Western culture offers her, Samia is continually restrained by her family. Naturally, they expect her to follow their traditions to the letter and, for a woman, this means staying at home all day looking after their men folk. In the end, Samia has no option but to rebel against her family and find a new life for herself…
Elie is at a loss. His mother, Esther, is ill and needs constant assistance but doesn't like any of the carers that come forward. Seeing his distress, the nurse Sélima proposes the services of her mother, Halima, a practising Muslim. Against all the odds, the two women become firm friends.
