Youssef, a fifteen-year-old boy, lives in a village devastated by drought and hunger under Spanish colonial rule. One day, he hears an enticing promise: wages, food for his family, and land upon his return if he joins a swift war to “save Spain.” He also sees in this opportunity a chance to build a future with Asma, so he volunteers and sets off on his first great adventure. He rides in a truck, puts on military boots, and sees the sea for the very first time.

But the dream quickly begins to crumble. Franco’s army looks down on its Muslim soldiers and treats them with contempt, while the soldiers themselves are drawn into a spiral of violence and looting. In the heart of the war, Youssef comes to realize that the enemy he had expected to face was nowhere to be found.