Émile Forest, a young Quebec photographer and writer, arrives in Venice by chance. He stays in a palazzo where a family has gathered for a funeral. With all the rooms occupied, he is offered the sofa in the piano nobile. Because this grand salon sits at the very heart of the house and serves as a constant thoroughfare, Émile finds it difficult to sleep. In spite of himself, he becomes a privileged witness to the inner anguish of a motley crowd.