In a swank neighborhood in Paris. Maria and José Ribeiro have been living for almost thirty years in their small concierge lodgings on the ground floor of a storied 19th century apartment building. This Portuguese émigré couple are universally liked: over the years Maria, an excellent concierge, and José, a marvelous building site supervisor, have become an indispensable part of the daily lives of everyone around them. They are so highly appreciated and so well integrated that when they have a chance of fulfilling their dream of returning to Portugal and living in comfort, no one wants to see the Ribeiros, so devoted and so discreet, leave. Just how far will their family, neighbors, and their employers go to hold them back? And deep down, do Maria and José really want to leave France and flee their precious gilded cage?