Inspired by real events and featuring non-actors, A Chjàna (The Plain) follows Ayiva, an African migrant worker who seeks to reunite with his best friend in the wake of the most significant race riot in Italian history. The film begins in Calabria, when Ayiva convinces his friend Chico that it is their duty to fight against the oppression they face. The immigrants tear through the streets, burning cars and protesting the shooting of a fellow immigrant. After the police start brutally attacking the demonstrators, the two friends are forced to flee but their escape is anything but easy.