Nouadhibou is a small seaside village on the Mauritanian coast. Amongst its white-washed buildings and melodic songs passed down through generations, lives intertwine while waiting for a hypothetical happiness... Seventeen-year-old Abdallah visits his mother before emigrating to Europe. Unable to speak the local language, the melancholic young man finds himself a stranger in his own country. Traditional colorful fabrics interest him less than the latest European fashions. He shies away from village customs and festivities. Yet Abdallah observes this touching universe so unknown to him - sensual young woman Nana's sorrows; a Chinese immigrant's romantickaraoke; old handyman Maata's frustrations with faulty electrical hook-ups. And the orphaned young boy Khatra with his wide-eyed curiousity and natural ability to evoke hope and tenderness.