Lilly, played by Dakota Fanning, is a white Muslim woman who was abandoned at a young age and grew up in Ethiopia during a time of violent political upheaval. As a result, she feels a deep connection to the country and its people. As an adult, she moves to London, where she becomes involved with a group of Ethiopian refugees and works to help them find their families and adjust to their new lives.
However, Lilly's motives are not entirely pure. She is also driven by a desire to reconnect with her lost love, Aziz, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Aziz is a passionate and idealistic doctor who also works with the refugee community. Their relationship is complicated by their differing cultural and religious backgrounds, as well as the trauma they have both experienced.
As Lilly becomes more involved with the community, she also begins to confront her own identity and her place in the world. She is forced to reconcile her Western upbringing with her Ethiopian heritage and her Muslim faith, and to confront the privileges and biases that come with being a white woman working with marginalized communities.
Sweetness in the Belly is a powerful and thought-provoking film that explores themes of identity, trauma, love, and community, against the backdrop of a complex and turbulent political landscape.