A young girl named Marcela lives with her dad, Jose, a lighthouse keeper, and old Daniel on an island. The only contact the girl has with the world outside her home is by a boat with four sailors that pays a visit to the island in order to take them supplies. Daniel, who not only protects her from her dad's strictness but also teaches her how to be literate, is her source of tenderness. Her dad thinks she should be away from the world - though she wishes she could spend a few days in town. Then one day, as she has her first period and becomes a woman, she starts feeling sexuality through the blowing wind, which she talks to.

Luiz Mario, a São Paulo night-club impresario and a classic "bon vivant", is also an avid collector of love affairs. He is surrounded by all types of women, with whom he has torrid flings, but he is never able to emotionally involve himself. Until one day, while passing by Rio de Janeiro, he falls head-over-heels for the carioca Malu, who practically runs him over on her bike while riding down Leblon's beach bike path. The couple's fervent romance is abruptly thrown into disarray when an enigmatic love letter is discovered. From then on, the story between the two lovers is turned upside-down. Luiz Mario is consumed by jealousy and his emotions slowly seep into his relationship, destroying everything.

Rio de Janeiro, April 18, 1945. Brazil's foreign policy aligns closely with that of the United States and opens a brief period of democratic rule after the end of World War 2. For years, hundreds of people were arrested and tortured by the Vargas regime. But with the external pressure, several political prisoners gain freedom.