After a 15-year absence, a man returns to his family clan in the provinces. His niece, the five year-old Aurelie, is the first to see him arrive. She instantly loves the mysterious stranger. Her older sister is more cautious about the nervous intruder and foresees the dramatic chain of events that will eventually unfold. The adults, caught up in the mythic ideals of family bonds, see nothing coming. Not his mother, nor his two adult brothers. As he becomes a part of their lives, the memory of who this man was before, and what he has become, tinges the air with discomfort. When tragedy hits, the adults fight back as best they can. The family is destined to explode, bearing the brunt of its force on the two young girls.