A man afflicted by an inferiority complex, is helped out by his comrades to pass the tests to enter the navy. A girl accepts to show a fake love interest in him as part of the plan, and ends up really enamoured.
Ana Maria loves a modest guitar player, Júlio; when she herself in a 'retiro' (typical fado tavern), public and critics rend major applause. Fame brings about new friends, namely bohemian young who play and sing the fado with her, and not so young men but who rich and powerful enough to patronize her, promote her, and wish to become intimate with her. Júlio the guitarist feel betrayed, and he sets his mind to depart to the African colonies, to leave her forever. Knowing that he's going to embark, Ana Maria's heart between her first love, and the appeal of the rich and famous.
When a businessman's car crashes and burns, inspector Moisés of the criminal brigade is given the case, as the body has been stabbed. He'll try to reconstruct the financier's personality by the mirrored impressions on those who knew him.
