In Paris 1870, three wandering souls find themselves in a city set to descend into war. Anne is a former patient from a women's asylum. Newcomer Lawrence, desperate to develop his talent as a photographer. Ellis, an army surgeon, has lived through the trauma of one civil war. Each keeps company with the restless beasts of Paris' Menagerie, where they meet, fight their demons, lose their hearts, and rebel in a city under siege.