It begins with a schoolyard romance in northern France in the 1980s: Clotaire, who grew up in a problem district of the city, falls in love with Jackie, who comes from a middle-class family. But the love between the two teenagers is put to the test by the brutal gang violence in the city. After Clotaire joins a gang and ends up in prison, they lose sight of each other. It is not until several years later that their paths cross again.