The film is set during the course of one day. Anne (Juliette Binoche) is trying to meet the deadline for her article about prostitution, while shopping and preparing dinner for her husband's boss and his wife. She is also worried about her two sons, the eldest of whom has been skipping classes while the younger appears to start being hooked on video games. This narrative is interrupted by the flashbacks to the conversations Annie has had with the two students, scenes from their lives, and the effect that their work in the sex industry is having on them and those close to them.