Alex Keller, a young French engineer, was only supposed to spend a few minutes in Koupala, a hamlet planted in a desert setting in North Africa. A few minutes, the time to get some gas and join a construction site of a dispensary, where he works as an expatriate engineer. But his vehicle ran out of fuel in Koupala. Helped by the men of the village, Alex tried to get his vehicle restarted but in vain. The young man, who thought he was only making a brief stopover, is now on a much longer stay than expected. The days go by, one after the other, and the situation persists. When he realizes that he is trapped in a misadventure, Alex has no choice but to adapt to the life of this hamlet. Gradually, he lost his references and certainties as a "White" from Africa. He has some very moving encounters: The beautiful Martina (Aïssa Maïga), a selfless and charming young woman; Dogni (Malick Sall), the pretentious beer merchant; Lieutenant Bado (Eriq Ebouaney), garrison chief; the village chief of Koupala. Alex gradually adapted to an environment that initially seemed hostile to him. His relationships with his new tutors are becoming more and more fraternal. A complicity develops between them, and without knowing it, it becomes a vital issue for the village. Until the day his car finally starts up again. Alex then finds himself faced with a cruel dilemma: to save himself or to stay to live there.