Omar Gatlato is an Algerian who works in a government office and dreams of sexual conquests. A romantic, he fancies himself as a ladies' man, but never moves outside the circle of his own mates, and lives with his sisters, parents and grandparents in a small apartment in Algiers.

A good deal of his time is spent recording Arab and Indian music on his small tape-recorder. A friend gets him a cassette, and listening to the voice of a girl on it, he decides that she is the girl for him. He dreams about her, while his friend, who knows the girl, arranges a meeting. But when, at last, it is possible for him to meet her, courage fails him.