Ben is a history teacher who lives comfortably with his family in Johannesburg. His tranquil life is unscathed by the Sowato uprising in the summer of 1976 when South African police murder black schoolchildren during a peaceful demonstration. Then Gordon, his gardener for 15 years, asks him to help locate his young son who disappeared following the demonstration. They learn that the boy has died. Gordon looks further into this matter, and he is imprisoned and tortured. When his wife, Emily, and her friend, Stanley, a cab driver hear that Gordon committed suicide in his cell, they refuse to believe it. Ben convinces a human rights lawyer to represent his deceased friend at an inquest. When the court rules against them, Ben joins Emily, Stanley and a female journalist in gathering information to bring a civil suit against the police.
A Dry White Season marks the directorial debut of Euzhan Palcy, who also wrote the screenplay with Colin Welland from South African writer Andre Brink's 1979 novel, She draws out excellent performances from the cast — especially Donald Sutherland, Marlon Brando, Zakes Mokae and Jurgen Prochnow. This riveting drama graphically depicts Ben's journey toward moral responsibility as he puts a thirst for justice and truth above his loyalty to the Afrikaner community. Equally impressive is the courage of Emily, Stanley and other blacks who against staggering odds and the threat of death set out to make a case against the human rights violations of the all-powerful security police. Euzhan Palcy has stated that she wanted to portray " the rainbow of life in South Africa." She has done just that. Only the thunder and lightning refuse to go away.