Yussef (Boubker Ait El Caid) and Ahmed (Said Tarchani) are sons of a poor Moroccan herdsman family owning a herd of goats. Their father bought them a rifle to help them kill jackals. To see the reach of the rifle, Yussef shoots at a tourist bus and the bullet accidentally hits an American tourist Susan (Cate Blanchett) in her neck. Her husband Richard (Brad Pitt) tries desparately to save her with help of local doctors. Back home, their Mexican housekeeper, Amelia (Adriana Barraza), has to attend her son's marriage in Mexico and has to carry the two kids of Susan and Richard with her. She falls into deep trouble while coming back and is separated from the kids in the desert. Meanwhile, Yussef's family is pursued by local Police after media labels them as terrorists. Their only hope from this desparate situation is a statement from the original owner of the rifle, a Japanese businessman Yasujiro (Koji Yakusho) who is struggling with his own life with memories of his wife who commited suicide some time back and problems with his deaf-mute daugher Chieko (Rinko Kikuchi).