《12把椅子》小说中的骗子主角奥斯塔普·本德尔的前传故事。　　1919年。命运使得年轻的理想主义者奥修与土耳其臣民、骗子易卜拉欣·本德展开对决。正直的奥修永远不会和这样一个肆无忌惮、狡猾的骗子联系在一起，除非他们被一场极其危险的冒险结合在一起——追捕国王的遗物，一根珍贵的魔杖，当地的土匪和白军军官毫不关心。在一系列令人眩晕的冒险中，奥修被迫向易卜拉欣学习迷人的奉承、微妙的欺骗、诱人的勒索以及…野蛮的力量。所有这一切——都是为了让这个城市最纯洁的女孩爱上他！或者说是致命的外国美女……

This film marks the directorial debut of Robert Benayoun. An artist (Richard Leduc) attending a party smokes some dope and develops the ability to see into the future and the past. He returns to his apartment where he sees the vision of a woman who had lived there 30 years ago. A friend tries to convince him it is his heightened sensitively as an artist that allows for the newfound abilities, but he soon has psychedelic hallucinations and his abilities increase with time. Stop-motion photography is effectively used in his sequence of visual experiences where the people exist but not the city in this metaphysical story.