Twenty-year old misfit François earns his living by gathering boxes and bottles to resell to local shopkeepers. He lives with his grossly insensitive mother and stepfather. Mado is a gawky 11-year old, who is neglected by her family because of the oddness of the way she expresses her affection. For reasons which never become clear, François kidnaps Mado, and takes her to live with him in the attic of his parents' home. Instead of feeling fear, Mado enters into the spirit of the abduction, and they joust with one another, increasingly finding love and comfort in their relationship. When the police come upon them, however, they put an entirely different interpretation on their behavior.

François tiene 20 años y ha secuestrado a la pequeña Mado, de once, llevándola al sórdido granero en el que vive. Ni la viola ni pide dinero por su rescate. Lo más extraño es que ella podría intentar fugarse, pero no lo hace. ¿Qué sucede? ¿Por qué el secuestrador parece inofensivo y la secuestrada parece estar segura y tranquila? Cada uno intentará dar al otro un poco del inmenso amor, dulzura y ternura que anida dentro de ellos...

本片是导演的处女作，讲述了一个几乎被家庭遗弃的20岁青年弗朗索瓦，终日靠捡破烂卖钱，后来他绑架了邻居的11岁小姑娘，但她也是个被家庭遗忘的笨拙女孩。弗朗索瓦把她藏在自家的小阁楼上，两人从起初的矛盾竟发展成为后来的一对情侣，互相从对方身上找到了慰藉和怜爱。警方后来审问他们时，他们也阐述各自不一的动机和原由。

François, vingt ans, rejeté par son entourage, kidnappe Madeleine, treize ans. La fillette, tout d'abord apeurée, devient la complice de François et prend rapidement les rênes de ce jeu interdit.

O jovem François recolhe e revende garrafas para os comerciantes. Depois de sequestrar uma menina chamada Mado, François a leva para morar com ele no sótão da cada dos pais. Apesar das circunstâncias, nasce um relacionamento cada vez mais reconfortante.