| Director | Jean-Jacques Annaud |
|---|---|
| Genre | adventure film, drama film, film based on a novel |
| Runtime | 130 min |
| Country | France, Italy |
| Budget | €40 million |
| Box office | $5.5 million |
In the early 20th century, Emir Nesib (Antonio Banderas) and Sultan Amar (Mark Strong) end their border war over "The Yellow Belt." Nesib wins, taking Amar's sons as hostages. Ten years later, Thurkettle, an American geologist, discovers oil in the Yellow Belt, violating the peace pact. Nesib modernizes his kingdom but faces opposition from tribes. Saleh, Amar's son, tries to convince Amar to allow oil extraction but is killed.
Desperate to maintain oil revenues, Nesib marries Auda to his daughter Leyla (Freida Pinto), dissolving the pact with Amar. Auda, sent to persuade Amar, discovers Amar's resistance to exploiting the Yellow Belt. Amar plans to attack Nesib's city, Hobeika, using prisoners as decoys. Auda leads the decoy army, but Nesib's forces overpower them. Auda's plan to lead prisoners to the sea fails, leading them to face a slaver tribe. Auda defeats the tribe, earning the loyalty of other tribes.
Auda is mistakenly shot but revives during funeral rites. Tribals believe he is a prophesied leader. Auda, vowing to "overturn the chessboard," unites tribes against Nesib. Amar agrees to Auda's terms but is killed by the Beni Sirri sheikh. Auda's army, angered, attacks Hobeika, overwhelming Nesib's forces. Auda becomes ruler of both kingdoms through his marriage to Leyla.
In the aftermath Nesib abdicates in favor of Leyla. Auda confronts Nesib, sparing him and sending him to Houston to protect their interests. The film concludes with Auda, now ruler, choosing his people over foreign interests and spending time with his pregnant wife.