In the fall of 1878, Vincent Van Gogh organized a sermon for the poor in a mining community in Borinage, a Walloon province in Belgium. He spent two years in poverty before knowing what fate had in store for him: he was going to become a great painter. This choice will transform the story of his life and that of painting forever. The key elements of the narration of this film are the letters that the young Van Gogh sends regularly to his brother. Added to this is a mix of evocation and expert interviews, helping to shed light on the young Van Gogh's early days as a painter.