Young graffiti artist Tony (Olivier Martinez) and his friend Jockey (Sekkou Sall) jump-start an unexpected adventure on the streets of Grenoble, France, when they steal a car that's already occupied by an older man (Yves Montand) who's been sleeping in the back. Writer-director Jean-Jacques Beineix's foreign-language drama marks the final feature film for renowned actor Montand, who died in the midst of shooting.
Thierry drops out of school to apprentice as a lion tamer at the zoo where he meets Roselyne, who shares his passion. They fall in love and when he loses his job, the young lovers journey across France finding odd jobs at several circuses. In Germany, they fall under the tutelage of ageing big cat trainer, Klint, and while they are closer to realising their dreams, they find that their success drivers them part.
