The film begins with a sea turtle making her ancient
journey across the Mediterranean to the coast of Gabès,
Tunisia, where she has nested for centuries. After laying
her eggs, the turtle is consumed by a black liquid and dies
before reaching the water. The camera reveals dozens of
dead sea turtles, all covered in the same toxic substance,
symbolising the environmental destruction. The story then
shifts to Fathia and her family, her husband Abdelkrim
and their children, including Fadhel, who has been living
in Europe for four years without legal papers. The family
lives in a small fishing village, where Fathia harvests
clams and Abdelkrim fishes. Through flashbacks, we
learn about Fadhel’s childhood struggles. But as pollution
from the chemical complex increases, the sea once their
livelihood begins to suffer. Fadhel leads a protest against
a desalination plant that worsens the sea’s condition,
but the government blames the fishermen instead of the
industrial pollution.