No measure of hellfire preaching can quell the boisterous and bawdy passions of Maracatu, an Afro-Brazilian burlesque carnival tradition with roots in slavery that takes place in the northeast state of Pernambuco. As the Falstaffian character Tiao, Valmir do Coco leads a nonprofessional cast of authentic Maracatu practitioners in a tale told through dance, music, and the supernatural, set in the sugarcane fields outside Recife.

It portrays the work of Carlos Filho, Cafi, a photographer from Recife, who for more than 40 years has dedicated himself to recording a large part of the events of dance, theater and Brazilian popular music. Recordings, concerts, tours and rehearsals by important artists passed through Cafi's lens.