A teenager is rescued from war-torn Rwanda and brought to the United States. He Struggles to fit in but has little luck till he meets a has been boxing coach. Together they prepare for the fight of their lives...

In 1839, the slave ship Amistad set sail from Cuba to America. During the long trip, Cinque leads the slaves in an unprecedented uprising. They are then held prisoner in Connecticut, and their release becomes the subject of heated debate. Freed slave Theodore Joadson wants Cinque and the others exonerated and recruits property lawyer Roger Baldwin to help his case. Eventually, John Quincy Adams also becomes an ally.