Proud and independent Mati, nicknamed Madame Brouette, survives by pushing her produce cart through the pathways of the market in Sandaga. Divorced, shes had her fill of men and wants nothing more to do with them. She shares a dream with her daughter Ndye and her friend Ndaxt, who has also escaped from a violent marriage. They hope to open a small restaurant, a snack bar which will allow them to make a living in dignity. But fate has other ideas and she meets Naago, a charming, smooth-talking policeman with whom Mati falls in love against her better judgment. One fine day at dawn, the Niayes Thiokeert district is awakened to the sound of gunfire.