A Bend In The River is the definitive story of Africa today. V S Naipaul's masterpiece is set in a town at the bend of a great river in a newly-independent African nation. It tells the story of Salim, an Indian shopkeeper, who comes to live there. Salim's hopes of finding peace and prosperity become undermined with the election of a new President, whose regime will plunge the country from hopeful new democracy into barbarism.

When Salim is invited to a party at the mysterious 'Domain', a building on the outskirts of the town erected to celebrate the achievements of the new regime, he meets a beautiful woman called Yvette and her husband Robert. As Salim begins an affair with Yvette, he learns that the new President is far from the liberal leader celebrated by her husband and the Western news agencies. Older, darker gods are haunting the young President's imagination - forces which will lead to the devastation of Salim's life in Africa.

A movie of intrigue and suspense, with echoes of the rise of Idi Amin in Uganda, the recurring strife in Central Africa and the current troubles in Zimbabwe, A Bend In The River also introduces us to a rich array of comic characters.

We meet Shoba and Mahesh, Salim's closest friends, who take over the McDonald's franchise in the town. There is Zabeth, the African tradeswoman, who becomes Salim's most loyal and sometimes only customer. Zabeth brings her young son Frederick from the bush to be educated by Salim. Frederick goes on to become one of the President's top advisors. We also meet Father Huisman, the eccentric Catholic priest who runs the local grammar school and whose enthusiasm for collecting African relics backfires disastrously. And finally Ali, the servant who betrays Salim to the police when barbarism eventually strikes the town.

A Bend In The River will be produced by Phil Blackburn, Meenu Bachan, and Peter Ansorge, who have collaborated on four previous English language films - Red Mercury (Stockard Channing, Pete Postlethwaite, Juliet Stevenson, Ron Silver), Take 3 Girls, Exitz (Malcolm McDowell) and Natasha. The production has the blessing of V S Naipaul who will be an Executive Producer. His novels include 'A House For Mr Biswas', 'A Bend In The River', 'Guerillas and The Mimic Men'and have won him the reputation of the UK's greatest post-war novelist, recognised by his Nobel Prize in 2001. It is adapted by award-winning screenwriter Farrukh Dhondy, whose recent screenwriting credits include The Rising, Red Mercury and Take 3 Girls.