In 1988, the disappearance of a young girl shocks the population of little Brígida, in the interior of southern Brazil, resulting in the banning of pagan festivities of Ivana Kupala. Thirty years later, the city is preparing to bring the party back, but terrifying events, along with the dangerous ritual of transmigration of souls, unsettle the community and bring to light the secrets of a crime that ties three families’ destinies through time.

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.

Julius is a photographer working as a men's magazine photo retoucher. His wife, Marcia, is a criminal lawyer who defends Teodoro, a squatter accused of murder. For years they had a quiet wedlock. However, Marcia gets involved with her client, and as revenge, Julius sleeps with Ana Maria, a friend of their daughter Guida. From this episode on, their lives are no longer the same.

An ubiquitous folk singer narrates the tale of a young boy, who apparently becomes immune to gunfire after his mother arranges for him to have an amulet bearing Ogum's blessings. As time goes by, he becomes a valuable member of a mobster's hit-team, but ends up joining a group of people who resist his original employers.

Julius is a photographer working as a men's magazine photo retoucher. His wife, Marcia, is a criminal lawyer who defends Teodoro, a squatter accused of murder. For years they had a quiet wedlock. However, Marcia gets involved with her client, and as revenge, Julius sleeps with Ana Maria, a friend of their daughter Guida. From this episode on, their lives are no longer the same.

号称世界上最危险的城市——巴西里约热内卢，警匪枪战时有发生。恶徒肆意横行，死亡如同家常便饭，甚至警匪沆瀣一气，危害城市。但就在这个混乱所在，却有一支刚正严明的部队横空出世。特别警察军事行动部队（Special Police Operation Battalion）凭借其果敢凶狠的办案作风而令匪徒闻风丧胆。
时1997年，教皇即将来此视察，高层要求纳斯西蒙（Wagner Moura 饰）所率领的这支精英部队在最短时间内肃清贫民窟内的毒品链。厌倦刀光血影的纳斯西蒙将心思放在了妻子和尚未出世的婴儿身上，他将任务交给了两个热血且充满理想的年青人——内图（Caio Junqueira 饰）和马提阿斯（André Ramiro 饰）。他们俩都不满警察队伍的腐败，决心在精英部队中大展身手……
本片荣获2008年柏林国际电影节金熊奖。