The worsening of relations with Algeria influences people from this country. Messo is a nine year old boy from a family of immigrants. His mother is terminally ill. The child gets into a typical French family of Georges and Gisele Duval, who are on the verge of divorce because they do not have children. Gisele knows the politics of her husband, a former military and nationalist neurotic George, so she carefully conceals the origin of the boy. So Messo becomes "Misha". The boy wins the hearts of foster parents, the uncompromising Georges starts to love him sincerely. But Gisele understands: it is impossible to paint the boy’s hair all his life.