At the beginning of this political allegory about apartheid, a South African grandmother tells a story of how humans and animals once fought for control of the earth. From this tribal legend, Waati segues to the modern day story of Nandi, a young girl who, after losing her family, revolts against the oppressive rule of the white regime, flees across the continent, and begins her studies at the university. Waati employs the vastly ambitious structures of Cissé’s other films as it engages the multiple cultures and countries of contemporary Africa, each with its own history, language, and political and social context.