The director filmed the movie near the town of Faux Cap, Madagascar, with a single technical assistant.
With the exception of an English-speaking narrator, all the roles are played by indigenous Antandroy people (few of whom had ever seen a movie before) who performed a largely improvised story based on William Shakespeare's Macbeth set in a remote fishing village.
[1] Two Antandroy men, Makibefo and Bakoua, encounter a witch doctor as they escort a prisoner back to their village across the desert.
The witch doctor, using sikidy, prophesizes a series of future events, including Makibefo's role as the destined king of his people.
Variety reviewed Makibefo positively, calling it "an entirely fresh response to Shakespeare that should attract both fans of the Bard and B&W cinema.