Maria has found her calling in her work as a cleaner. She is thorough, conscientious and devoted, if sometimes a little clumsy. On the side, she pursues another passion: she writes poetry which she shares with no one – above all not with her indifferent husband who can’t relate to her interest in the fine arts. So he can’t understand Maria's enthusiasm when she takes on a new job at the Academy of Fine Arts in Paris.
There, Maria is immersed in a glamorous world completely foreign to her: She soon makes friends with the modern, cosmopolitan students and the janitor, Hubert. He knows the academy inside out; after all, he has spent almost every minute among the works of art for decades. The chemistry between the grumpy codger and the cleaner is right from the start. Maybe it’s his Elvis-type hip swiveling which he secretly practices in the office? Maria soon takes a liking to her new life, and Hubert is always by her side as her zest for life reawakens. Will she find the courage to start all over again?