Eastern Cape, South Africa. A lonely factory worker, Xolani, takes time off his job to assist during an annual Xhosa circumcision initiation into manhood. In a remote mountain camp that is off limits to women, young men, painted in white ochre, recuperate as they learn the masculine codes of their culture. In this environment of machismo and aggression, Xolani cares for a defiant initiate from Johannesburg, Kwanda, who quickly learns Xolani's best kept secret, that he is in love with another man.
A dog briefly appears in the film, but no harm comes to it. However, the film does contain two sequences in which goats are slaughtered (with no harm to real animals).
The film's credits contains the following statement: "No animals were harmed during the making of this film. The goat featured in this film being slaughtered was a pre-deceased goat acquired exclusively for the portrayal of that scene. No live animals were killed and/or harmed in any way during this production."
Although no detail is shown, ritual male circumcision is a theme and subject of discussion throughout the film and young men are shown undergoing being cut early in the film.