A teenage boy defends his housing project through a secret rooftop sanctuary while navigating love, abandonment, and community displacement.
Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases
The Fading Community
Youri and his friends stage protests and cosmetic repairs to save Cité Gagarine from demolition. Despite their efforts, building inspectors officially close the estate, setting the stage for displacement.
Key Events
Community Protest — Youri stages a protest against the planned demolition of the housing project. Location: Cité Gagarine
Inspector Closure — Inspectors officially close the estate despite residents' cosmetic repairs. Location: Estate Entrance
Graffiti Cover-up — Residents paint over graffiti to delay eviction and improve conditions. Location: Estate Walls
Lightbulb Replacement — Friends replace broken lights to maintain the estate's livability. Location: Estate Corridors
Mother's Rejection — Mother cancels housing agreement via note due to pregnancy and new boyfriend. Location: Mother's Home
Abandonment and Sanctuary
After his mother rejects him due to her pregnancy and new relationship, Youri constructs a hidden rooftop sanctuary. He cultivates a greenhouse and finds solace in a budding romance with Diana.
Key Events
Mother's Rejection — Mother cancels housing agreement via note due to pregnancy and new boyfriend. Location: Mother's Home
Secret Sanctuary — Youri constructs a hidden spaceship-inspired dwelling and grows vegetables. Location: Rooftop
Garden Romance — Youri and Diana develop a romantic relationship in the hidden garden. Characters: DianaLocation: Greenhouse
Worker Surveillance — Youri hides from demolition workers preparing the site for destruction. Location: Construction Zone
Mother's Pregnancy — Mother's new pregnancy contributes to her decision to reject Youri. Location: Mother's Home
New Boyfriend Arrival — Mother's new partner arrives, increasing household tension and displacement. Location: Mother's Home
Roma Cultural Bond — Diana's Roma heritage and family ties influence her forced relocation. Characters: DianaLocation: Mobile Home
Forced Relocation
Police evict Diana and her Roma family from their mobile homes. Youri pleads for her to stay, but she departs with her family, leaving him isolated in the decaying estate.
Key Events
Roma Eviction — Police forcibly evict Diana and her Roma family from their mobile homes. Characters: DianaLocation: Mobile Home Site
Plea for Stay — Youri begs Diana to remain with him, but she departs with her family. Characters: DianaLocation: Estate Perimeter
Demolition Eve — Residents return to lay flowers and witness the impending destruction. Location: Cité Gagarine
Roma Cultural Bond — Diana's Roma heritage and family ties influence her forced relocation. Characters: DianaLocation: Mobile Home
Demolition Night Rescue
Old residents return to mourn the estate. When Youri flashes an SOS signal, Diana and Houssam rush into the building, discovering him unconscious on the roof and rescuing him as the demolition concludes.
Key Events
Demolition Eve — Residents return to lay flowers and witness the impending destruction. Location: Cité Gagarine
Flower Tribute — Elders pay final respects to the dying community in a quiet ceremony. Location: Estate Grounds
SOS Signal — Lights flash SOS in Morse code, alerting Diana and Houssam to danger. Characters: Diana, HoussamLocation: Rooftop
Emergency Rush — Diana and Houssam sprint into the building following the distress signal. Characters: Diana, HoussamLocation: Building Interior
Hypothermia Crisis — Youri succumbs to cold exposure while maintaining his vigil on the roof. Location: Rooftop
Rooftop Discovery — Friends locate Youri unconscious on the roof, suffering from hypothermia. Characters: Diana, HoussamLocation: Rooftop
Rescue & Aftermath — Friends stabilize Youri as demolition proceeds below them. Characters: Diana, HoussamLocation: Rooftop
Final Stand — Friends reunite atop the structure as the estate falls around them. Characters: Diana, HoussamLocation: Rooftop
Story Breakdown
Community Resistance — Collective efforts to halt demolition through protests and maintenance.
Grassroots Protests — Youri organizes demonstrations against the planned demolition.
Cosmetic Repairs — Residents paint graffiti and replace lights to delay eviction.
Inspector Confrontation — Bureaucrats officially close the estate despite resident efforts.
Personal Abandonment — Youri's familial rejection and subsequent isolation in the estate.
Mother's Rejection — Mother cancels housing agreement via note citing new priorities.
Pregnancy Complications — Mother's new pregnancy shifts household focus away from Youri.
New Boyfriend Tension — Arrival of a new partner increases domestic friction and displacement.
Secret Sanctuary — Youri's hidden rooftop base and survival strategies.
Spaceship Construction — Youri builds a hidden dwelling inspired by space exploration.
Greenhouse Cultivation — He grows vegetables to sustain himself in isolation.
Security Evasion — Youri successfully avoids detection by patrolling guards and workers.
Romantic Connection — Youri and Diana's relationship amidst the estate's decline.
Garden Romance — The couple develops a tender bond within the hidden greenhouse.
Plea for Stay — Youri desperately asks Diana to remain with him.
Forced Separation — Diana departs with her family, leaving Youri alone on the roof.
Roma Displacement — Diana's family eviction and cultural loss.
Police Eviction — Law enforcement forcibly removes Diana's family from mobile homes.
Mobile Home Loss — The family loses their primary residence and cultural anchor.
Family Relocation — Diana and her relatives are forced to move elsewhere.
Demolition Night — Final evening of mourning and distress signaling.
Resident Tributes — Old residents return to lay flowers and witness the destruction.
SOS Signal — Youri flashes lights in Morse code to alert friends of his crisis.
Emergency Rush — Diana and Houssam sprint into the building following the signal.
Climactic Rescue — Friends reunite and save Youri from hypothermia.
Hypothermia Crisis — Youri succumbs to cold exposure while maintaining his vigil.
Rooftop Discovery — Friends locate Youri unconscious on the roof as demolition begins.
Final Reunion — The trio stabilizes together atop the structure as the estate falls.
Yuri, 16, has lived all his life in Gagarin Towers, a vast red-brick housing project on the outskirts of Paris. He dreams of becoming an astronaut. When plans to demolish Gagarin Towers leak out, Yuri joins the resistance. With his friends Diana and Houssam, he embarks on a mission to save their home, which has become his “starship.”
