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A young Ethiopian student joins his local militia to avenge his murdered parents, and finds in the trunk of his own car the recognition that changes his perspective on the murderer forever.
Daniel, 22, political science, Addis Ababa. Son of farmers. Star pupil of Professor Behere, who tells his students that the future of Ethiopia belongs to whoever picks up a book. Daniel believes him. A militia from another region comes through Daniel's village. His parents are killed in one night. Three days later a commander from Daniel's own people finds him sitting outside the burned house, gives him a rifle, gives him somewhere to put what he's feeling. Daniel goes with him. They march through the highlands for months. After a while, us-and-them is the only thing that holds.
Six months in, the squad moves on the commander who ordered the raid. His name is Adinel. The firefight kills everyone on the capture team except Daniel. He reaches Adinel alone. Blindfolds him. Puts him in the trunk. Drives.
Mountain road. The car goes off it.
In the silence after the crash Daniel is somewhere else. Still water. White stone. He is shown another life — and it's Adinel's, from the inside. The same parents. The same harvest. The same night a militia burned his village. The militia is Daniel's.
He wakes behind the wheel. He drags Adinel out of the trunk, walks him to the edge of a cliff, makes him kneel. Pulls off the blindfold. He is looking at himself.