Not far from Timbuktu, now ruled by religious fundamentalists, Kidane lives peacefully with his wife and children. In town, people suffer from the regime of terror imposed by the Jihadists. But the family’s life changes abruptly after an accident—now Kidane’s fate is in the hands of the Jihadists.

Juxtaposing an overwhelming sorrow with an underlying joy, Abderrahmane Sissako intertwines the cruel reality of occupation with buoyant, moving moments which emphasize the strength of the human spirit. A political film of defiance, resilience, and poetry.