Barou and his wife Bibi lead a happy and contented family life with their two children in the desert city of Timbuktu. During an attack by Islamists, their son Kadry is killed. The father's grief and despair over this loss increasingly mix with a loss of reality. When his mother, who has had a formative influence on him, also falls victim to an attack, he completely loses his mind in his helplessness.
