Helder Costa

Eight very different couples deal with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London.

Lives is the story of a middle-aged couple that dwells the night, the heroin and small tricks.

Dona Elvira promises to get a job from José through the typical Portuguese wedge. In parallel, they are bizarre aspects and eccentric figures of the city life, including the tragedy of the actress Maria Alves.

A boy lives with his mother and younger sister. One day, his mother disappears with her lover, leaving the two children alone. António, the older brother, takes care of his sister, Maria da Luz. The little girl is about 10 months old. When she starts walking, their mother reappears with her lover, takes the girl, and leaves the boy behind. António is devastated, as he had been living for several months with a single goal: to protect his sister.