Young guy from the poor Northeast region of Brazil comes to Rio de Janeiro to try his luck. Naturally, he is faced with many adversities along the way.

A public relations man is invited to guide an American millionaire during his stay in Rio de Janeiro. He gets involved in the most bizarre situations, from orgiastic mega-parties to confrontations with the police, meetings with drug dealers and movie stars, facing corruption and even murder.

Rita is about to marry a wealthy physician, Dr. Augusto Vilela. One night, Vilela's best friend, Camilo, is brought to the hospital, dying from an overdose. Vilela saves his life and introduces him to his fiancée. Rita and Camilo fall in love and, confused about what to do, the girl goes to a fortuneteller to seek for advic

Henry Czerny plays American journalist Michael Coleman, a strung-out expatriate writing for a Brazilian newspaper. His professional obsession is Father Stephen Louis, a mildly popular and charismatic priest who has been the major political opponent of the greedy and ruthless landowners of the Bahia region. Mysteriously, the usually outspoken Father Louis has been silent for three months. With the Brazilian Congress about to vote on a major land-redistribution bill that could potentially tip the balance of power even further, Father Louis’s support of the peasants and his condemnation of the landowners is more important than ever. Coleman sets out alone for the politically unstable Bahia region to capture a highly anticipated interview with the elusive priest.