In the beautiful, remote Christian mountains of Lebanon during the summer of 1958, the tranquility of a traditional family vacation stands in stark contrast to the political revolution brewing down in Beirut. Layla is a young, compliant mother and a seemingly model housewife, living under the quiet tyranny of a strictly patriarchal society that dictates every aspect of her existence. The slow pace of the village is disrupted by the arrival of two French summer visitors, Hélène and her son René. As Layla crosses paths with the open-minded French travelers, the encounter opens her eyes to the severe limitations of her own life and marriage. Plunging into a forbidden emotional and physical awakening with René, Layla starts a quiet, internal revolution. She tries to assert her independence and change her family's path so her younger sister won't be forced into the same rigid, submissive life.