Fatima (Soria Zeroual) is a middle-aged resident of Lyon, France; she and her husband (Chawki Amari) immigrated from North Africa but they no longer live together. She laments the fact that she didn't finish her education at a village school and she still has trouble speaking French. With incredible energy and determination, Fatima works as a cleaning lady in order to provide a home for her two teenage daughters. Her dream is to do give them a better life than she has had.

Nesrine (Zita Hanrot) is a serious and grateful 19-year-old who has been admitted to medical school. She has gotten her own apartment with another student and immersed herself in her studies. She has a loving relationship with Fatima.

Souad (Kenza Noah Aiche) is a feisty 15-year-old who is doing poorly in school and is very ashamed of her mother's work and traditional ways. She would just as soon assimilate into French society and avoid associating with other immigrants. Even Nesrine feels the sting of the old country when a Moroccan-born neighbor criticizes her for not showing respect for her on the street.

Fatima, who wears the hijab, is the target of prejudice against immigrants by a landlady. Cleaning a wealthy woman's home, she finds some money and promptly gives it to her employee, realizing that it was probably a test of her honesty. In order to deal with all the emotions that have surfaced in her life, this middle-ager enrolls in a French class and begins keeping a diary in Arabic. This proves to be a wise decision since she takes a bad fall and sprains her arm. When the pain keeps her from work, Fatima finds even more need to vent her feelings in the diary.

Fatima is directed by Phillipe Faucon; his screenplay is based on two books by Fatima Elayoubi. With great sensitivity, the director presents an empathetic portrait of a woman immigrant who faces a formidable mix of hope, disappointment, fear, and loneliness as she struggles to be the best mother possible for her two incredibly different daughters. This is one of those slice-of-life movies that will stay with you as you find yourself empathizing with all the characters.