The choreographer brings the Paris of yesteryear back to life: the city of the Boulevard du Crime from the first half of the 19th century, with its artists, theaters, and cabarets. In a staging reminiscent of a movie set, the mime Baptiste bathes in his memories, tell about his encounter with Garance, his impossible love for a marvelous yet unattainable woman, the magical universe of the stage, life behind the scenes, and the tenuous line performers maintain between reality and illusion. Marc-Oliver Dupin's original score provides the musical backdrop for a choreography alternating between larger ensemble numbers and intimate love duets.

Le ballet est un hommage au film-culte Les Enfants du paradis (1943) de Marcel Carné pour la mise en scène et de Jacques Prévert pour le scénario. Le film est une fresque gigantesque en deux parties titrées Boulevard du crime et L'Homme blanc.