A rainy evening in the harbor of Antwerp. A man named Laarmans is on his way home even though he doesn't want to. Three lost Eastern sailors are looking for a woman named Maria Van Dam and ask Laermans to show them the way. He decides to help them find this mysterious woman.
A diverse group of people from different nationalities struggle to earn a living in a Belgian coal-mining town. Hoping to find a better life, the dreams are shattered when coal prices hit an all-time low and production wipes out the main industry and livelihood of the workers.
