21-year-old Do-hee, who has no hope left, meets 40-year-old Yoon, who dreams of becoming a dancer in Paris even with a prosthetic leg, and finds the brightest hope in the darkest and shabbiest of places.

Moulin Rouge and Moulin Rouge

Do-hee is shot with a taser gun by the French police while scattering cremains in front of the Moulin Rouge in Paris. This shocking incident of a young Asian girl in her twenties getting knocked out after being shot with a taser gun while dispersing powder suspected to be anthrax in a distant, foreign country gets widely reported throughout France, and Do-hee eventually faces a special investigator from the French police. When the investigator, who resembles a popular French actor, asks Do-hee about the full story behind the case, she begins to recount a long, long tale with help from an interpreter. It’s not about the Moulin Rouge in Paris, but instead, the old Moulin Rouge on the second floor of the Sarang Bank intersection in one of Korea’s small towns.

The muddy weight of reality

Do-hee’s mother and father were poor but happy. Yet the humble family fell into an endless abyss after her mother's suicide. Do-hee’s father became an alcoholic, and she left him behind to start her college life in a faraway land. With nowhere to go, Do-hee moved into her friend Eun-jung's house, accepting her condition that Do-hee pay half the rent. But to Eun-jung, Do-hee was nothing but a source of income and a piece of furniture, and she brought her boyfriend home often without notice. Feeling even more hurt than before, Do-hee moved out and decided to take a break from college.

The red windmill, Yoon, and Kim

Allured by the phrase, "Those who can alter clothes are welcome," Do-hee stepped into the Moulin Rouge. She assumed it would be a specialty dress shop, but it turned out to be a shady-looking live bar with a dingy stage and old couches throughout. Kim was an employee here, and Yoon, who introduced herself as the owner, wore light makeup and a long dress that came down to her ankles. This was Do-hee, Yoon, and Kim's first encounter with each other. Whether or not there were any customers, Yoon went on stage twice a day to perform theCan-Can-can, and Do-hee's job was to mend the dresses for the dance.

Can the Moulin Rouge keep going?

Yoon loved the Can-canCan-can, and Do-hee admired Yoon's love for her dream. Do-hee realized for the first time that a person who loves something could shine like that. Dreams were meaningless for Do-hee, whose biggest goal in life was to make a living. However, the Moulin Rouge in Do-hee's heart began to show itself from its previous place in the shadows. She wanted to keep her promise to make a dress for her mother. But reality was always cruel and painful. The moment a regular customer opened the door holding fried chicken in their hands, a cold wind blew in though Moulin Rouge.