Back from Europe and eager to help the people of his native village, idealistic Daam (Ismael Lo) successfully runs for election in the nearby capital of Dakar. He marries village beauty Gagnesiri (Ndeye Fatou Ndaw), who is supportive and loving but unable to bear children. Since an heir is indispensable, Daam takes as his second wife the ambitious Kine (Ndeye Bineta Diop), who delivers him a child but not much loyalty. While Daam makes a meteoric rise from deputy to minister of development, Kine continues to gripe about the limits of their wealth. She conspires with a greedy village businessman named President (Thierno Ndiaye) to deliver a lucrative bridge-building contract behind her husband's back. As minister, Daam is held responsible. Stripped of his position and dignity, he is ditched by Kine and returns to his village. Although Gagnesiri stands by him, she in turn is ostracized by the local women who point to her childlessness as the cause of Daam's bad fortune. Moussa Sene Absa's fascinating film looks at changing values in an Africa plagued by ingrained social problems and the conflict between modernization and cultural traditions.