故事发生在圣保罗的一家复古舞厅的夜晚，形形色色的人群在这里邂逅，调情，争吵，拥舞。伴随着音乐起舞的除了他们的身体，还有已经流逝的过去，五光十色的当下，以及不可知的未来。
In an old-time dance hall (the "gafieira") in Sao Paulo, one evening is all it takes to meet different characters as they remember the past, live the present, wonder about the future, have fun, flirt, fight and, naturally, dance.
Lais Bodanzky's second feature -- 7 years after her critical and box-office success "Bicho de Sete Cabecas" -- is a character study comedy influenced by Ettore Scola's and Robert Altman's ensemble pieces, especially Scola's "Le Bal" (1983) in its integration of music, dance and emotion, and "La Cena" (1998) as it also takes place in one single evening. Contrary to "Le Bal", though, what really matters here is the dialog, the faces and the characters; this is NOT a film about choreography or dancing skills.

The theme deplores the conditions of the slum quarters of Rio (and ghettos everywhere) and finds a young girl from the provinces who comes to Rio de Janiero in search of her fiance and finds he is a feared and hunted criminal. The scenes between the idealistic-but-trapped young lovers is depicted in soft images of tenderness and sensitivity that leads to a climax of shocking violence in the Rio slums.

Augusto Matraga is a violent agressive farmer who, after being betrayed by his wife and trapped by several enemies, is bitten up and left for dead, being rescued by a couple of humble small farmers who nurse him for a long time until he is well again. Influenced by the couple, Matraga starts a long penitent life while waiting for his hour and chance to payback, starting a fight between his violent nature, his hidden desire of vengeance and the mysticism and goodness which is also part of him.