The narrative follows the daily lives of a Jewish family living in the Once neighborhood of Buenos Aires, intertwined with the local shopkeepers in a modest commercial gallery.
Narrated by Ariel Makaroff, portrayed by Daniel Hendler, the story unfolds around his mother, Sonia Makaroff, played by Adriana Aizemberg. Sonia was abandoned by her husband, whose name is Jorge (Jorge D'Elía), when he traveled to Israel in 1973 to participate in the Yom Kippur War. Despite this separation, Jorge maintains weekly contact with Sonia, providing financial support for Ariel and his brother Joseph (Sergio Boris). Sonia operates a lingerie shop within the bustling gallery.
Ariel, depicted as a young man racing through life with an uncertain future, finds himself entangled in a relationship with Rita (Silvina Bosco), an older woman, while still yearning for his past love, Estella (Melina Petriella). He is plagued by dreams of relocating to Poland, the country his family fled during World War II.
Struggling with his identity, he frequently pesters his grandmother, referred to as Bubbe (Rosita Londner), for the necessary immigration papers that could grant him Polish citizenship, fueling his desire to feel "European." This quest compels his grandmother to revisit her memories of suffering in Holocaust-era Poland.
To bolster his documentation efforts, Ariel approaches the local rabbi for assistance. During their conversation, Ariel learns that one of the documents is slightly damaged. The rabbi’s explanation, “So, no one can use it again,” prompts Ariel to quip, “Oh! Like circumcision!” This playful irony mirrors the tone of Woody Allen's "Deconstructed Harry" as it critiques the ritual of circumcision.
As the plot thickens, the shopkeepers rally to organize a competitive race against a rival group of merchants, aiming to win a cash prize to renovate their storefront and install much-needed air conditioning.
The colorful cast of characters includes a boisterous Italian family whose loud quarrels consistently disrupt the radio repair shop, a serene Korean couple managing a feng shui boutique, Mitelman (Diego Korol) running a travel agency under the guise of a currency smuggling operation, and a reclusive stationer named Osvaldo (Isaac Fajm).
Just before the climactic race, Ariel’s estranged father unexpectedly returns to Buenos Aires. In a moment of revelation, Sonia confesses to Ariel that the reason for her husband's departure was a brief affair with Osvaldo, the nearby shopkeeper. Though it was a fleeting misstep with no emotional weight, it fractured their marriage. This pivotal encounter allows Ariel to finally engage with his father's narrative; Jorge reveals he struggled to forgive Sonia's betrayal. In a long-overdue reconciliatory gesture, father and son share a heartfelt embrace, concluding the film's emotional arc.
As the credits roll, Ariel's grandmother serenades the audience with a traditional klezmer song, further enriching the film's cultural tapestry.
