In 1970, Rubens Paiva was taken from his home in Rio de Janeiro and never seen alive again. Walter Salles' gripping drama meticulously reconstructs that period, showing how Paiva's family survived and fought to find out what happened to him.

Rubens Paiva's family lives a relatively comfortable life as a member of the middle class. But Rubens is fed up with the military regime that has ruled Brazil for six years and has become involved in resistance activities. When Rubens is arrested by the secret police, the Paiva family is suddenly powerless. After a short time in custody, his wife Eunice tries to support their five children while gathering all possible information about her husband's disappearance. But as time passes, hope for Rubens' return fades and the family is confronted with drastic changes in their hitherto idyllic existence.

Walter Salles' (Central Station, 1998; The Motorcycle Diaries, 2004) first feature film in twelve years is an all-too-relevant account of life under an authoritarian regime. The filmmaker knew the Paiva family from his youth, and the sense of intimacy he conveys, coupled with the authenticity that emanates from every moment, immerses us in this era and the details of the family’s increasingly precarious existence. At the heart of the drama is Eunice – beautifully played by Fernanda Torres (and, later in life, by Torres’ own mother, Fernanda Montenegro) – whose dogged pursuit of truth in the face of cruel evasion of justice is an act of incredible courage against the forces of oppression.