The initial shot of the vast, ancient-looking tannery with its many vats, immediately followed by the text about pigeon excrement, creates intrigue and a sense of the unusual.

The video shows the traditional leather tanning process in Chaouara Tanneries, Fez, Morocco. It begins with a wide shot of the tannery, highlighting the numerous stone vats filled with various colored liquids. Workers are seen in the vats, some processing hides. The footage then cuts to close-ups of the vats, showing the pigeon excrement mixture used in the first stage of tanning, and then to other vats with natural dyes. A man is shown holding mint leaves, which are offered to visitors to combat the strong smell. The process of soaking hides in different colored dyes is illustrated, leading to the final products: a display of finished leather bags, satchels, and belts.