The return of the prodigal son to a corrupted homeland is a theme found in many Third World cinemas, but in Saaraba it is developed with subtle insights and ironic twists unique to the African experience. The title refers to a the Wolof idea of Utopia, a paradise on earth free from the miseries and contradictions of daily life: "Seck uses this traditional concept as a central metaphor, simultaneously affirming it, subverting it, and, in the end, transforming it. A pattern of hope and disappointment, belief and cynicism, myth and reality, underlies the quest of each of the characters in the film." (Mbye Cham) The story centers on Tamsir, who returns to Dakar after 17 years abroad, ready to put his European training to work for his uncle's architectural development business. Dividing his time between the city and his ancestral village, he is sickened by the corruption of his uncle-in league with the politicians who are preying on his very village-but the social mores of the village prevent his full assimilation there as well.