For years, mental patient Samehe has remained mute, refusing to utter a word to the staff of her Kilimanjaro mental hospital. Things change with the arrival of Dr. Asira, a progressive African-American psychiatrist. Soon after joining the staff, Asira begins to make headway with Samehe's case. Samehe, believing that Asira is a messenger sent by her spiritual guide Maangamizi, begins to speak to the doctor, giving her glimpses of her inner world. Once their discussions have begun, however, it is Samehe who pushes Asira to confront her own buried traumas.