the boys' friendship is later complicated when they both fall for the same beautiful black slave iaínha (sheron menezes).

in particular, there is a focus in the story on the 11 year old mixed race boy josé who is in search of his roots and seeks out his father who disappeared at the time of his birth.

as a backdrop to the story the film takes in many significant historical events that occur between the arrival of the royal family in 1808 and the return to portugal of dom joão vi in 1821.