Donald Woods (Kevin Kline) is chief editor at the Daily Dispatch a liberal newspaper in South Africa. He has written several editorials critical of Steve Biko’s (Denzel Washington) views. But after meeting Steve face to face for the first time, Donald’s thoughts on him completely change. Their several meetings cause attention to be drawn on them from the security police. This means Woods and his family are in danger. While in police custody Steve Biko dies and from that Donald writes a book about his friend. With tight control on publishing the only way to get the book out to the public is for Woods to illegally escape the country.