Tow untried journeys are pitted against the worst that nature and man can set against them in a life-or-death trek that will test their mettle and make men of them, if they survive. Seydou and Moussa are cousins and best friends in the small West African country of Senegal. At 16 they are full of dreams, and they dream of becoming something more than their modest prospects can offer. They are good kids with idealized notions of finding adventure and success by migrating to Europe. The pair embark, without parental leave, on a long journey through Mali, Niger, and Libya. This Oscar nominated, shapeshifting story is often a film of great beauty.