Seventeen-year-old Bilal comes from Iraq. He left his homeland shortly after his girlfriend emigrated to England and is now in the midst of a journey across Europe in order to see her again. However, his journey has now come to an abrupt end on the northern coast of France. Between Bilal and his girlfriend Mina lies the wintry English Channel. He is stranded in Calais due to the weather--a stretch of water measuring 32 kilometres separates him from the nearest English town. His only option to cross the Channel during this season is to swim. In a flash, the boy heads for the local swimming pool to begin training. It is there that he meets lifeguard Simon who teaches Bilal how to crawl.