Linear

The film opens with Paris at night as the city lights flicker and the journey begins. A motorcycle cop sits on his police-issued bike, staring at graffiti on a wall that reads 'Fuck the Police' in French. He kicks the bike over, pours petrol on it, and sets it alight, watching the blaze before the dawn signals the next leg of his travels.

As dawn breaks, the cop mounts his motorcycle and leaves Paris behind, forging a path through the French countryside. The early light marks a transition from city streets to open road as he heads toward Spain. His destination remains personal: to reach Tripoli to see his girlfriend.

He crosses into Spain, continuing his long ride toward his goal. The landscape shifts from fields to new horizons as he presses on toward the Mediterranean route. The central mission to reunite with his girlfriend in Tripoli shapes every mile.

During a mid-drive break in the Spanish countryside, the cop lies back and watches a cloud form the image of the African continent. The surreal moment underscores the distance and the weight of his journey. He soon drifts back to the road and resumes his ride.

After waking, he resumes his journey across Spain, the road unfolding before him. He pushes through rolling landscapes, accelerates toward Cádiz and the eventual crossing toward the sea. The trip continues to push him toward his destination.

In a small town, he pulls off for lunch and enters a café that is nearly empty except for a lone waitress. The quiet interior contrasts with the international journey outside, heightening the tension of his erratic trip. He sits, eats, and watches the quiet world go by.

The waitress flicks on the television and they watch a U2 music video 'Magnificent'. The moment injects pop culture into a sparse setting, punctuating the isolation of his voyage. The scene blends ordinary life with the film's recurring travel mood.

Resuming his journey, he travels through the Spanish countryside until arriving in Cádiz. The coastal city marks a waypoint where the road story can pivot toward new encounters. The distance from home remains the emotional engine of the trip.

Inside a Cádiz bar, a woman begins to dance and catches the cop's gaze. The bartender pours drinks as the moment unfolds, giving him a brief respite from the road. The scene captures a momentary escape from his solitary quest.

Before leaving, he slips his keys to the dancer on the table. As he steps out, he glances through a peephole and sees several women with moustaches dancing inside. The strange, carnival-like image heightens the film's surreal travel mood.

Walking alone through the streets with nowhere to stay overnight, he makes his way down to the beach and falls asleep on the sand. The night by the sea underscores his isolation and the miles left to travel. Dawn looms as his voyage continues.

In the morning, he rents a rowboat and begins to paddle across the Mediterranean toward Tripoli. The voyage marks a transition from land to sea in his pursuit of the girlfriend. The horizon offers a promise of reunion, even as the voyage tests his endurance.

The journey continues across the Mediterranean toward Tripoli, with the Cedars of Lebanon echoing as the destination. The voyage carries him toward his goal and the film's final stretch, blending travel with anticipation of reunion.