Lebanon, World War II. Matile, a mother of 11, is preparing a memorial lunch for her late husband—with none other than the Patriarch of Antioch and all the Orient attending. Just then, the French Army decides to seize her home to build a military spa. Through a chain of absurd events, Matile ends up imposing her own laws on both the French General and the Patriarch, turning tradition—and authority—upside down.