Ten year-old Yachine and his thirteen year-old brother Hamid live in Sidi Moumen, a destitute slum on the outskirts of Casablanca. Days are spent trying to draw some pleasure from their petty existence, in the backdrop of a noxious environment of poverty and violence. Hamid, though just a child, forcefully sustains his unbalanced family by any means. As he hangs out with a bad crowd and becomes one of the local neighborhood bosses, he continues to fiercely protect his younger brother Yachine until the day he is thrown into prison for a few years. Released from jail, Hamid, now an impassive Islamic fundamentalist, persuades Yachine and his pals to join their "brothers." The Imam Abou Zoubeir, their spiritual leader, starts to direct their long-standing physical and mental preparation. One day, he tells them they have been chosen to become martyrs. On May 16th 2003, they commit the deadliest act of terrorism in Morocco's history.