Gol Ghoti (around 5 years old) and her older brother Zahed live on the streets of Kabul. Their father, a Taliban, is in prison after having been away for more than five years. At night they stay with their mother, who is in another prison, where she awaits a trial for adultery - she married another believing her first husband was dead. The children spend the night in prison with their mother, and during the day rummage through garbage in search of something useful they can sell. Gol Ghoti saves a dog from being killed by angry kids who believe it to be a western dog. The dog is good company, which they need as they aren’t allowed to sleep in prison anymore. Desperate to be arrested and returned to prison, the children embark upon a series of failed robberies, until a fugitive tells them they can learn how to steal from Hollywood movies or alternatively, a European film – “The Bicycle Thieves” - can teach them how to get caught.