In the village of Rivière au Sel, nestled in the lush forest, a wake is being held for the deceased – a man who came to live in the village a few years ago and about whom little is known. The question remains whether he was Cuban or Colombian. Did he desert, and why did he return to Guadeloupe? These questions remain unanswered. However, the precise identity of this man has little bearing on the impression he left on the villagers and the changes he brought to their lives. During this nocturnal gathering, more than just this small village is revealed; it offers a mirror to contemporary Guadeloupean society with all its conflicts, contradictions, and tensions.