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Everyone in his Sudanese village believes that Zein (Ali Mahdi) is a simpleton, a half-wit, an amiable buffoon. Thus, his braying laughter and public declarations of love for village maidens only win laughter rather than anger, beatings or worse. However, Haneen (Ibrahim Salahi), a wandering Muslim holy man, perceives something more in this figure of fun: genuine piety and an inner radiance, marked by a powerful spiritual intelligence. One other person sees more in Zein than most do, the beautiful, pious and sedate Nina (Tahiya Zaroug).