In an isolated village of the Alentejo region, a conflict arises. José Vitorino, one of the landowners of the region, rich in prehistoric monuments, wants to build a luxurious solarium in lands filled with ancient rocks, places of devotion and sacred rituals. Indifferent to the people’s protest, who believe in the magical powers of the stones and that the region’s drought is due to the rocks’ destruction, José Vitorino hires an architect to plan his new house. On christmas eve, in the middle of the winter solstice, a strange ceremony around a dolmen, once an altar for bloody sacrifices in more remote times, releases a harmful spell. A race against time to reverse the faulty charm begins.
The life of Fabio and Miá falls into the rut when differences, which are not few, need to be faced. After Fábio forget the third wedding anniversary, Miá decides to ask for a time in the relationship. When Fábio's grandfather, who lives in Portugal, tells him that he was a widower, he sees on this trip to the funeral an opportunity to save his marriage.
A portuguese officer, supposedly dead in a mine explosion, is captured by the african guerrilla in Guiné (former portuguese colony) while his beloved wife Laura remain inconsolable in Portugal trying to believe that Jorge is still alive. Meanwhile an old Laura friend, a lieutenant, tries to convince Laura that Jorge is dead.
Eduardo has always been a secret Laura lover. The romance between them is however darkened with the phantom shadow of Jorge hanging over them..
A Visigoth count conquers a small village town from the Moors in the Lusitanian mountains, only to loose his possessions through the mysterious workings of a woman from parts unknown.
"The Butterfly in the Cage" is a novel by Luís Filipe Costa adapted to film by the author, it follows the daily lives of several people connected to newspapers, television, film and theater in Lisbon, in the days leading up to the revolution of 25 April 1974.
