In a small town at the mouth of the Po River, Hassan and Mara are brought together. He is a Tunisian mechanic, who after years of hard work has built up a very good reputation. She is a young substitute teacher waiting to leave for Brazil to work on a co-op project. Eighteen year-old aspiring journalist Giovanni is a witness to the peculiar relationship that develops between them. After discovering that Hassan spies on her at night, Mara first drives him away then starts dating him. Giovanni also spies on Mara, using his computer skills to read her email messages. Their lives will be turned upside down by unexpected and painful events that follow.