Paul Nogey, a literature professor, used to be a poet with a great reputation, but he has lost inspiration for some time. Having become a stranger to all others -and even to himself - he makes a living by giving lectures in French universities. Paul thus wanders from town to town, merely going through the motions of life. One winter, an umpteenth round of lectures takes him to Strasbourg, his native town. Once there he rediscovers the places of his childhood and the college where he studied. He visits his old mother, whom he has not seen for years and years. He also witnesses a fatal drama that leaves him speechless…