Our story takes place in Indochina in 1940, when the country was under French occupation. 15-year-old Kim must lead his two buffalo far from the flooded lands of the South. His family’s only possession of any value, the buffalo must arrive safe and sound at the Bâ-thé mountains. During this dangerous journey through vast lands immersed in water, Kim learns about adult life. He becomes part of a gang of buffalo herders, bandits in their spare time, and discovers a male universe consisting of brawls, boozing and pillaging. This violence progressively gives way to friendship, love and the joy of freedom.