Mara, a young Romanian woman, has just moved to the US with Dragos, her 9-year-old son, marrying Daniel, an American she has met only a few months ago. The film follows her through a series of revealing encounters during one day, from her problems of babysitting, her unplanned and uncomfortable meeting with a US. immigration official, to dealing with the police about her son she had to leave in a motel room and the bank issue for a loan with her husband.
A loner and cook has traveled west and joined a group of fur trappers in Oregon Territory, though he only finds connection with a Chinese immigrant. The men collaborate on a business, although its longevity is reliant upon the participation of a wealthy landowner's prized milking cow.