January 1957, in a small town in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. A middle-class house, the home of two sisters, Clara and Thérèse, whose characters could not be more different. After their father is institutionalized, the two women take over the family business, which specializes in precision optics. One day, the floor of the music room collapses after being ravaged by termites. Karoly, a Hungarian refugeee and jack-of-all-trades, is hired to repair the damage. The Hungarian's presence causes ripples in the seemingly unchangeable life of the two sisters...