Sílvia Buarque

Four love stories which portray a wide gamut of emotions and desires against the backdrop of Rio de Janeiro. "Elephant's Stomp" : the story of a highway patrol officer who is infatuated with a mulatto dancer at a local nightclub. "Drao" : a publicity man and a boutique owner who face a crises in their marriage. "You Are Beautiful" : two homeless teenagers seek love amidst their personal misery. "Samba of the Great Passion" : a book maker who is charmed and captivated by the voice of a female singer coming from a building across the street. Characters in search of love in order to escape from the boredom, loneliness and helplessness of their lives.

Luiz Gonzaga decides to change his destiny and leaves his childhood home for the big city to overcome a romance. When he arrives, he meets a woman he falls in love with, the Odaleia (Nanda Costa). After the birth of his son and his wife's health complications, he decides to return to the road to ensure a better future for his son. He has a friend in Rio de Janeiro and with him leaves the little one and heads to Brazil. He didn't imagine that this distance between them would develop into a complicated relationship, enhanced by the strong personalities of both. Based on conversations between father and son, this is the story of Luiz Gonzaga, a singer and accordion player known as Rei do Baião or Gonzagão.

In an arid and poor region of Brazil, bikers search for a miracle to make it rain and save the land, risking their lives.

Farmer raised in the USA returns to Brazil when he discovers that his uncle is involved with some illegal activities.

Early 1970s. Latin America was under a military dictatorship. Some political groups opted for armed struggle to confront the regime. Boni, an engineering student of humble background adheres to the armed struggle, but carries doubts and fears as to whether this would really be the best way, as he fears for his family, his girlfriend and the future, which seems more uncertain every day. Like so many, he is arrested, tortured and banished from the country. In exile in Chile, together with his partner Cecilia, he comes to understand society in a different way. He begins to work and live with the Chilean people, realizing that to change reality it is first necessary to understand it.

Five stories by Brazilian writer Guimarães Rosa: in the hinterland of the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, a man fears for his life after having killed one of the dire Brothers Dagobé, outlaws who have great influence over the region; a hitman asks a doctor what's the meaning of a name he has heard; in a farm, the landowner decides to share the use and property of the estate among his employees; a man falls in love with a girl, but she's said to have a dreadful disease; and the local butcher spends half of his time running after his mother and daughter, both utterly mad.

Two moments in the life of Pedro. First in 1997, he lives with his family in Rio de Janeiro and works at Gás do Brasil, a company that is undergoing a tough restructuring process, with layoffs and early retirements. Soon, privatization will come. In the second moment, two years later, Pedro lives retired in his hometown Barbosa, in the company of his childhood memories, his dog and his girlfriend. By interweaving these two moments in time, we put ourselves in Pedro's skin and experience his fears and delights.

Two students make a date in a secluded cave behind their school, where they could be undisturbed. But on arrival they see a corpse. They run to inform the authorities, but when they arrive the corpse has mysteriously disappeared.