Director Abdellah Taia adapts his own 2006 novel about the life of a gay teenager in a very traditional Muslim family in Casablanca. Abdellah (Said Mrini) is sexually active with a number of locals with whom he shares a vital need for secrecy (with the slightest hint of familiarity arousing suspicion). At home, his superstitious mother (Malika El Hamaoui) is authoritative and manipulative while his father (Abdelhak Swilah) is mild-mannered at one moment and abusive towards his mother the next (and possibly in denial about evidence of Abdellah's sexuality). He worships his self-assured older brother Slimane (Amine Ennaji, L'ENNEMIE INTIME) - to the point that even Abdellah is disturbed about the possible sexual connotations - and fears like his mother that he will leave them one day (with Abdellah humoring his mother's dependence on sorcery to keep Slimane but also quietly hoping it works). While Slimane dreams of getting away - signified to Abdellah by his embracing of the French language and culture - Abdellah finds life as it is bearable in his presence. When Slimane decides to visit the seaside for a few days with Abdellah and youngest brother Moustapha (Hamza Slaoui), his mother tasks Abdellah with keeping his older brother away from prostitutes and gives him a talisman to put under Slimane's bed. When Slimane nevertheless runs off with a waitress (Amal Maarouf, GOODBYE MOROCCO), Abdellah's faith shattered in his mother's abilities, home life becomes unbearable. An older, wiser Abdellah (Karim Ait M'Hand) takes up with vacationing Swiss (French-speaking) scholar (Frédéric Landenberg, THE LITTLE BEDROOM) as a ruthless means of achieving true freedom (both spiritually and sexually).