Set in the contrasting climates of a politically-charged Africa and the tranquil confines of an enchanting Roman villa, Besieged is a smoldering love story that bridges the gap between two very different worlds. Thandie Newton stars as the luminous Shandurai, a young African woman who has left her homeland, after having witnessed her husband's brutal abduction at the hands of an oppressive government. Disenchanted with her country, Shandurai surfaces in Rome at the home of an eccentric English musician, Mr. Kinsky (David Thewlis). Shandurai works as a maid for Mr. Kinsky in exchange for room and board while she studies medicine at the local university. The two have almost nothing in common, yet she hopelessly enchants him. The depth of his devotion will challenge the delicate balance between desire and sacrifice, sentimentalism and need, as old and new worlds meet and meld in this daring and inventive story.