On May 1, 1975 with Viet Cong troops march through Saigon celebrating their victory. Tham, caretaker of Victory Hotel, a relatively small establishment in downtown Saigon, nervously observes these celebrations. The owners have fled Saigon and the hotel is to be requisitioned by the new government. Tham wonders what his fate will be under the new regime. The next day he is told that that the hotel is to be transformed into a collective flat for the Viet Cong cadre and their families now entering the city. Tham is not hostile to this but is concerned about his place in the new set up. Will he still have a job? Will he be treated as an enemy?

Le vieux Tham, baptise affectueusement Papy, est le gardien d'un ancien hotel requisitionne pour servir de logement collectif a des cadres de la revolution. Ancien domestique promu gardien de l'immeuble, Tham est devenu l'egal de tous, et exprime sa reconnaissance a l'egard de la revolution par la conscience professionnelle avec laquelle il assure le gardiennage du batiment et la sympagnie qu'il porte a tous ses habitants. Mais bientot Tham decouvre avec amertume que personne n'est veritablement attache a l'immeuble, que chacun n'y vit que contraint en attendant de partir.