In an African country torn by civil war, Maria blindly refuses to abandon her coffee plantation before finishing the harvest. A wounded rebellion leader takes refuge with Maria who offers help, but when the government troops regain control of the area, they take bloody reprisals against the rebels. The film was born of Huppert’s suggestion to Denis that she adapt Doris Lessing’s novel The Grass Sings. Denis’ main co-writer was the novelist and playwright Marie NDiaye. This is a film in which we see female bodies actively wanting and desiring.