Hélène, a widow running an antique furniture business from her home in Boulogne-sur-Mer, receives a visit from her former lover, Alphonse. She hasn't seen him in years and invites him to stay with her along with his young companion, Françoise. As Hélène grapples with unresolved feelings from the past, her stepson Bernard also faces his own haunting memories. He is deeply troubled by his time as a soldier in Algeria, particularly by a mysterious young woman named Muriel who profoundly impacted his life. The meeting of these characters triggers a complex web of emotions and reawakened traumas that reveal the depth of their personal struggles.

The narrative unfolds through fragmented sequences and non-linear storytelling, illustrating the characters' attempts to reconcile their past with their present realities. Hélène's efforts to revive her relationship with Alphonse encounter obstacles as buried secrets and lies resurface. Meanwhile, Bernard's obsessive search for closure about Muriel’s fate becomes increasingly intense. The interactions between Hélène, Alphonse, and Bernard draw them deeper into a maze of memory and regret, leading each of them to confront their own fractured sense of self and history. The film paints a poignant picture of how personal histories are entwined with broader historical events, impacting lives in profound and often painful ways.