[2] Marius and Jeannette live in the same working-class apartment complex in Marseille, in close proximity to their neighbors.

The lame Marius is a security guard at an abandoned cement works, and since the company has gone out of business and the plant will soon be demolished, he is squatting in order to save money.

Jeannette is a single mother raising her two children on her own on a meagre supermarket checkout operator salary.

They meet when Jeannette tries to steal two cans of paint from the cement lot, and Marius catches her and tries to chase her.

A relationship soon develops between them, but as both have been wounded by marital difficulties and life in general, they are hesitant to become committed.