Ahmed Kasmi and his family left Algeria 3 years ago. The family now resides in Montreal and they are one week away from receiving their Canadian citizenship. Ahmed's son, 19-year-old Hafid, joins a group of young activists and breaks into an immigration office to delete computer files. Filmed by surveillance cameras, Hafid's actions are broadcast on the nightly news. He is now a fugitive. While practicing the Canadian national anthem, Ahmed sees his son on TV and is devastated. He must now try to save his son and his family's chance at citizenship. With no one to turn to, Ahmed sets out alone into the snowy streets of Montreal. Trying to retrace the steps of his radical activist son, he discovers a city he does not know and a son who is a stranger to him. Along the way, Ahmed encounters Huguette, a feisty young woman who is deeply in love with Hafid. Although they form an unlikely pair, Huguette and Ahmed agree to search for Hafid in an attempt to stop him from further militant actions.