In a remote region of rural Switzerland, a farmer and his wife eke out a harsh existence, appearing to live in a century far removed from our own. Paul is incapable of showing any kindness towards his wife Rosine, and is unconcerned when she starts to suffer from severe stomach pains. He treats her worse than his animals, a slave willing to attend to his every need and every command. One day, he hires a Spanish migrant worker, Eusebio, to take on the more demanding jobs on his farm. He treats his new farmhand no better than his wife and becomes suspicious when Rosine begins showing him some kindness. Convinced that his wife has started an affair with Eusebio, Paul beats her in a wild frenzy. A short while later, he sees her being flown by helicopter to the nearest hospital. Feeling betrayed, he turns his anger towards Eusebio but has a change of heart when he discovers that his worker has marital problems of his own.