The Belmakis, an upper-middle-class family in France, appear to lead a trouble-free life; all, however, is not as it seems. Ahmed, the patriarch, harbours a secret: he is a 'Harki' – an Algerian who served on the side of the French during the Algerian War. His French wife, Françoise, is lonely and depressed. Tarek, their son, still lives at home and has yet to find himself. And daughter Sofia, a law student, has no interest in her Algerian heritage. Ahmed dies in an accident while driving home. As the family prepares for his funeral, they hear a knocking from inside the coffin. Ahmed emerges alive and with a clear purpose: to travel back to Algeria.