Rio de Janeiro in the early 1970s. The beach house of the Paiva family is pervaded by an atmosphere of affection, humour and candour that Eunice (Fernanda Torres) is determined to uphold, even when her husband is arrested by the military. Focussing on the family’s everyday life and Eunice’s fortitude, the storytelling is serene and the images are flooded with light. Little wonder that Salles’s movie has been a huge success not just in Brazil.