Aliou, a Gambian teenager, has found eternal love in Bintu during the days of the Arab Spring but there's one dilemma.

A life or death decision of going through Libya to Europe which either can end up as a pathway to success or hotbed of peril and destruction! 

People in his village have nicknamed him "Aliou Messi" because of his soccer (football) skills and it appears that this gifted young man seems destined to live out his days on Earth in poverty like many of the villagers.
When his father passes away, he's the only one left who can support the family. With a rushed marriage arrangement on a deadline, Aliou's only way of financial survival may be going the route known as the Backway.