Carrying bottles and pots around their shoulders, and a few pieces of clothing, Boesman and Lena are forced to roam dusty clay roadways in search of shelter and a better existence. Driven from their shanty once again by the white man, they walk the South African Cape Flats, a place that they've been many times before, in a life they've been forced to live before. Lena, haunted by memories of happier days, wants to talk abou their plight to find answers and meaning to her life. Boesman, filled with rage, spite and fear, wants to numb himself with wine and quiet Lena with his fists. As the night falls, a stranger appears. he is a kaffir, A Xhosa tribesman. Although different from them, he is also looking for nourishment. For Lena, he is another pair of eyes, a witness to her existence in the world. Boesman shuns him and mocks Lena for her sympathy. But the mere presence of this stranger transforms the lives of the desperate couple who find their state basically the same, yet significantly altered.