Décio is a winning horse trainer who works at the Rio de Janeiro’s Jockey Club, where Lena runs an indebted coffee shop that she inherited. Worried about her financial situation and having to take care of her younger brother who is in a wheelchair, Lena never smiles. In love, Décio must overcome his shyness to get close to her, especially with him being only 1.20m tall. He will do anything to get Lena's attention, including becoming a comedian, just so he can see Lena smile.

Reencountering the only man she ever loved is Gringa’s dream. She is the owner of a brothel in the interior of Brazil and even though she is blind and very sick, she insists on fulfilling her last wish: to go to Venice to apologize to the lover she abandoned decades ago. To take her to the Italian city, Tonho, Rita and the other girls who work for Gringa come up with a fantastic plan with help from a circus troupe.

The film tells the story of a key figure associated with the Brazilian medium Chico Xavier: the spirit Emmanuel, also known as his mentor.