problems arise as nina's father, a successful lawyer, who is strongly opposed to his daughter's relationship with somebody from the across the social divide prohibits her from visiting there - furthermore carlão returns from prison determined to ascend to overlord in their community and avenge his brother's murder.

here, the movie follows a tragic series of events, whereby nina is kidnapped, dé framed for the crime and ultimately in the style of a modern day version of romeo and juliet the socially doomed couple end up dead on an ipanema street.

the films' actors report that although set against a violent backdrop era uma vez endeavors to show that love transcends boundaries, namely of color, socioeconomic class and religion and rather than one of violence, the film conveys a message of social responsibility.