In 2010, Tony Roucas, a.k.a. Mad Tony, who is serving a long-term prison sentence, and Kenz, a young delinquent, share the same tiny cell. They escape from prison, have absolutely nothing in common and have nothing to say to each other.

Under threat by fundamentalist terrorists, a group of Trappist monks stationed with an impoverished Algerian community must decide whether to leave or stay.

Parallel storylines tell the current state of affairs for two ex-lovers: Nora's a single mother who comes to care for her terminally ill father; holed in up in mental ward, Ismael, a brilliant musician, plots his escape.

A businessman makes a regular arrangement with a Ukrainian prostitute, despite the youngster's involvement in a controlling street gang.

A 17th-century nun in Italy suffers from disturbing religious and erotic visions. She is assisted by a companion, and the relationship between the two women develops into a romantic love affair.

One summer, a French teenager who has been living with his mother in the city moves in with his estranged father’s family in the countryside, where he clashes with his stepmother.

The economic situation is a nightmare: only 20% of the population is employed. The Actives live inside the city. On the fringes, in the Zone, live the Jobless. Separating them is a wall.