Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891) was a leading light in the symbolist movement of French literature, which rejected the use of realism in the depiction of emotions and ideas. In this film, Robert is an eccentric, oversized young man who puzzles and infuriates his parents by locking himself into a closet for long periods of time; at the same time, he loudly recites poetry by Arthur Rimbaud. Kicked out of the house by his exasperated parents, he decides to make a pilgrimage of the exotic African sites Rimbaud haunted in his final years. He meets and then travels with Isabelle, who is attempting to escape from a rejected suitor's unwanted attentions. In addition to that problem, she has another, more curious problem. It seems she is turning into a hawthorn bush.