The Zookeeper

Soldiers sweep through a village in an unnamed Eastern European country, rounding up inhabitants. Ten-year-old Zioig is separated from his mother as men are killed and the boy is loaded onto a truck. His father tells him that grown men don't cry, and Zioig ultimately escapes during the transport.

In the capital city, Ludovic—former Interior Ministry official—works at a zoo and receives a letter from his estranged daughter Anna in Paris asking to reconcile. With the city under siege, he volunteers to help the Indian veterinarian care for the animals, which are placed on rations due to scarce supplies.

A UN peacekeeping convoy transports Zioig, but during the journey he wakes, leaps from the truck, and steals two boxes of supplies. The boy's resourcefulness manifests even amid the chaos around him.

Ludovic encounters militia leader Dragov at a checkpoint; lacking identity papers, he is let through because they are of the same race. He then settles at the zoo, helping the Indian veterinarian, and forms a bond with Luisa, a female Capuchin monkey.

While visiting the wolves' pen, Ludovic tells Zioig to leave, and he and the veterinarian share a drink. The Vet remarks that good men do the right thing in bad times, which strengthens Ludovic's resolve to protect the animals and the boy.

The following morning Dragov's militia returns and arrests the Vet for his race. Ludovic protests, but the Vet is taken away, and Ludovic is forced to look after the animals alone.

The Vet is discovered strung up outside the zoo and is buried later. Ludovic mourns the loss of a man who stood by his principles in a time of danger.

Zioig returns with Ankica, who reveals she is his mother. Moved by their plight, Ludovic decides to allow Zioig and Ankica to stay, despite the danger to himself.

Zioig comes back bearing blood and cigarettes; Ankica opens up about her prison camp experiences, including rape by a guard. She pleads with Ludovic to be kind to her son and protect him.

Ankica reads Ludovic's diaries, prompting an angry reaction that leads him to order them to leave. Zioig storms out in a fit of rage, straining the fragile bonds forming between the three.

Dragov and his militiamen search the barn, and Ludovic hides Ankica inside while distracting them with a lion cub as a mascot. The ruse buys them a narrow window of safety.

Ankica and Ludovic reconcile and begin to develop feelings for each other, while Zioig looks on with mixed emotions. The following morning, Ludovic feeds the body of a militiaman to a lion, underscoring the brutal cost of survival.

That night, artillery strikes the zoo's monkey house; Ludovic attempts to rescue the animals but they perish in the flames and smoke. After this, Ankica convinces Ludovic to leave the zoo with her and Zioig.

The next morning, Ludovic bids farewell to the animals and prepares to depart the zoo with Zioig and Ankica. A Dragov sniper kills Ankica, and Ludovic tends to her. UN peacekeepers begin evacuations, and Ludovic and Zioig bury Ankica before leaving the zoo with the orphaned wolf cub.