Una mirada acronológica y en profundidad a la vida de Heleno (1920-1959), mítico y controvertido futbolista brasileño de los cuarenta. Conocido como «Gilda» por su temperamento violento, Heleno fue el príncipe de la edad dorada de Río de Janeiro. Apuesto, encantador y refinado en los elegantes salones de baile, tenía un carácter explosivo y lleno de pasión en la cancha. Heleno estaba seguro de que era el futbolista brasileño más grande de todos los tiempos, pero la guerra, la sífilis y una turbulenta vida lo alejaron de ese destino de gloria, precipitando la tragedia.
Raimundo, film producer, asks financial aid to his friend and producer J.C. to evaluate his own project. J.C. conditions his support to a change in Raimundo's style. Raimundo will have to make a movie aimed to the general audience and following the old producer's book: violence, sex, non-actors and slum. Raimundo does what he says, but an unexpected fact threatens the film's conclusion.
A small poor community called Javé is under threat of being flooded by a new dam that is being built, and the only way to prevent this is to prove the town's historical value. As most of the inhabitants are illiterate, they have no choice but to ask for the help of Antônio Biá, a man who has been ostracized ever since it was discovered that he had sent out letters with lies about their reputations as a way to keep his job in Javé's seldom-used post office. He now has the task of documenting people's memories of how the city was founded, yet each inhabitant has his or her own version of what happened.
Zé Rocha is a director trying to shoot his first film. He dreams of making a professional movie, and starts shooting in 35mm. But as his budget begins to fade, he changes to Black-and-White, then gradually down to 16mm, Super-8 and, in the end, to his despair, to the video format. With the help of Edna Marla, producer who is searching for the Holy Grail of a genuinely 100% Brazilian celluloid; Dona Martírio, his mother, former left-wing activist; Guará Rodrigues, an underground Brazilian movie star; and Lila Lessa, who stars in a 6 p.m. soap opera, they develop strategies and outlandish plans to win the insane battle of filmmaking in Brazil.
