In June 1944 shortly before the Normandy landings Denis Porte works on a British military base that is completely fake. Every day he moves dummy soldiers to deceive the troops of the Third Reich as part of the vast Operation Fortitude . While several members of his family have died as heroes for France Denis's mother does not want him to take too many risks. However Denis will meet Sami an Algerian doctor . The latter dreams of meeting Charles de Gaulle . After a drunken evening the two men decide to go and meet the general.