Slaughterhouse worker Serge (Gérard Depardieu) is ready to reap his pensioner's rewards but finds that former employers have neglected to declare his earnings. Climbing on his aged Mammoth motorbike, Serge sets off on a trip to recover lost wages and buried memories. As he reconnects with old friends, Serge discovers that their idea of him is vastly at odds with his self-image; only an unconventional niece sees the artist in the seeming oaf.