When Mithat gets asthma due to all the dust in his apartment, he employs the building’s concierge, 34-year old Ali to do chores for him, buying items for his collection and hunting for the elusive encyclopedia. Ali has a completely different background, having moved to Istanbul from a small village in attempt to earn money for his family. Until Mithat’s request, his life is confined to the building and while he initially fears the outside world, this turns out to be an opportunity to explore outside life. Mithat’s neighbours have received an offer to move out of the building to a new, better block of apartments. But Mithat doesn’t want to leave his place and move the collection which would be practically impossible, given its size. That’s why the neighbours try to sabotage him, calling public utility inspectors in attempt to declare his apartment a hazard to the safety of the building.