How Rudolf Slatin, the son of a Viennese silk dyer, became a Muslim in chains, a hero of Victorian England, and a Sudanese statesman while serving the British. And how his grandson George is following an ancient invitation and meet the heirs of the Mahdi and Kahlifa.

Slatin Pasha or the unbelievable story of an Austrian hero, set in Vienna of the Habsburgs, the palaces of Victorian London, and among the warring tribes of the Sudanese Sahara.

The film will show the journey of one of Slatin's grandsons, George Galitzine to Sudan. While following his grandfather's trail, he will meet descendants of Muhammad Ahmad al-Mahdi, Abdallahi ibn Muhammad, the Khalifa and others who played a role in Slatin's life. But while their grandfather witnessed the birth of the new state of Sudan, George will see the struggle of the largest African country, to become a modern state.
Historical material from Rudolf Slatin's sizeable estate and innumerable photographs and artefacts such as the Mahdi's war drum will be used together to make up a vibrant portrait of late 19th century colonization of Africa and on the other hand the Arabic struggle for freedom and self determination.