Wonderful World

Ben is a failed children's folk singer and less-than-extraordinary weekend dad. Deeply cynical, Ben's sole pleasure in life is derived from chess games with his Senegalese roommate Ibou. When Ibou is suddenly struck ill and an insensitive municipal employee exacerbates the emergency situation, Ben's pessimistic world view seems unequivocally confirmed. But when Ibou's sister Khadi takes his place in their apartment, what starts as an awkward living arrangement becomes something more, and Ben finds that cynicism may be all a matter of perspective.

Ben Singer sees the glass half full... of polluted water. He bums out his co-workers at a dead-end job proof-reading at a law firm, his ex-wife who's remarried to a Hollywood exec, and his pre-teen daughter who can't handle the negativity. Only his flat-mate, Ibu, a Senegalese security guard, and the old guys at a music store where he jams on acoustic guitar enjoy his company. When Ibu goes into a diabetic coma, Ben invites Ibu's sister, Khadi, to stay with him while she visits her brother from Dakar. She tries to break through Ben's shell with the message that emotions can be magic. He keeps that door closed and may also lose his daughter's affection. Will he ever see possibility?