Mahfoud is a young professor at a technical school in Algiers. With his technical and computer knowledge, he renovates an old weaving loom which he plans to show at an international inventor's convention in Germany. His travel plans though are frustrated by administrative obstacles. Meanwhile his neighbors have their eye on him - especially old M'nouar who has been scarred by terrible memories from the Algerian War. He views everything and everyone with suspicion. As far as he's concerned, Mahfoud is up to no good, maybe he's even involved in subversive activities! Of course it doesn't help that Mahfoud is having a love affair with Samia, a young psychiatrist who has returned to the country after her studies to Belgium. She fights against conforming to the local norms and breaks taboos which don't please the people. Finally Mahfoud succeeds in obtaining his visa to go to the international Fair. His invention wins an award there and when he returns home there is a very different welcome for him!