After a man and a boy have crossed oceans, they arrive in a new country. Here, they are each assigned a name and an age, and they are held in a camp in the desert while they learn Spanish, the language of their new country. As Simón and David, they make their way to the resettlement center in the city of Novilla, where the authorities treat them politely but not necessarily helpfully. Simón finds a job at a grain dock. The work is unfamiliar and exhausting, but soon he wins the affection of his fellow dockworkers, who engage in philosophical conversations about the dignity of work during breaks and generally take him to heart. Now he must set out to find the boy's mother. Although he, like all others who come to this new land, seems to be free of all memories, he is convinced that he will recognize her when he sees her. And indeed, while he is walking in the countryside with the boy, Simón spots her.