What to do with the ashes in the cocoa can, the remains of someone who has neither an urn nor any living relatives? The mortician, Serge, is a lonely man who leads a monotonous and joyless existence — and the only person attending the funeral happens to be his ex-wife. Serge has also had to look after their daughter, Inès, at short notice. His attempt to give the deceased stranger a dignified funeral creates an opportunity to repair his relationship with Inès.
Noël spends Christmas with his Italian-origin family when the discussions of racism fuse into the atmosphere.