Maxim is a young Muscovite who journeys from Russia to the south of France to visit his mother in her home amidst the lofty mountains of Montagne Sainte-Victoire. He finds her in poor health and is overwhelmed with grief when she abruptly passes away. In the throes of mourning, he reconnects with his French half-sister Marie Louise, whom he hardly saw. Despite the language barrier and accustomed estrangement, the pair grows closer through their shared sense of loss.