On the shores of a peaceful Rwandan lake, thoughtful Ngabo and impressionable Kwizera learn life lessons from their father. A marketplace trip erupts into horrific violence, orphaning the brothers and forcing them into the jungle.

They find refuge with a mysterious couple known as Auntie and Uncle in a secluded orphanage. The sanctuary is a mirage: a recruitment camp for the ruthless warlord Mugenzi. As the boys are drawn into his army of lost children, their bond is tested to the breaking point.

Their path collides with Major Derek Peregrine, a hardened U.S. Marine whose mission of mercy hides a brutal calculus. After orders to stand down, Peregrine disobeys and launches an assault that kills Ngabo and scatters the survivors.

In the aftermath, Kwizera becomes protector of the remaining children. His journey culminates at a refugee camp, where Peregrine celebrates false heroism and Kwizera commits a final shocking act of justice.