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.

as the film's official website states, more than anything o inventor de sonhos is an excuse to delve in this rich period in brazil's history, to document the significant events of this time and parade the city's glorious architecture and people as they are envisioned before the first photographic evidence is available - this is done through the eyes of the film's main character, josé.

filmed on location in paraty, rio de janeiro, the film is a 3d digital reconstruction of the colonial city of rio de janeiro, with a historical accuracy achieved through thorough research using documents and painting from the period, along with maps from the national library.