1920s. Vitalino, a small farmer from São Vicente sees his father die of the epidemic which decimated the country. Some years later, of all the brothers, Vitalino is the strongest and takes his father’s place in the house. But the village is too small for his aspirations and he decides to head to Brazil, leaving his sisters in charge of the household. In parallel with Vitalino’s story, If I Were a Thief… I’d Steal portrays the world of Paulo Rocha rummaging through his films and ghosts over the years.
In this film an artist is under 24-hour surveillance. Through a continuous circulation of images and sounds, the spectator becomes an accomplice and witness to all his movements. During this process we ask ourselves not only why we are following the artist in this way but also about the meaning and the nature of his work.
They are both there. Who belongs where? He thinks she comes from far away in time. She says she has always been there. He gets a job. He sells his house. She only has a blanket. Which one is passing through?
The relationship between António and Ruth ends unexpectedly when Ruth decides to live with Pedro, António's best friend. António doesn't fight back and lets himself drown. From the woods come Violeta and Gaspar, two strange beings, a mixture of fairies, demons and guardian angels, who help António overcome his depression. With the thunders the two characters return to their domains. And life goes on.
