In Rio de Janeiro, the forty and something years old Mercedes (Lília Cabral) goes to the psychoanalyst and tells the story of her life since she was a girl and lost her mother. Along the three years of analysis, her life changes and she divorces from her husband Gustavo (José Mayer) and has love affairs with the younger Theo (Reynaldo Gianecchini)

2010: Just as the Brazilian government launch a military-assisted siege on one of Rio de Janeiro’s most notorious and criminally-controlled favelas, the identities of four undercover policemen operating in the slum are accidentally leaked. As violence mounts, the favela’s ruthless boss, orders his men to hunt them down.

Five undercover cops at Complexo do Alemão, one of Rio de Janeiro's most dangerous areas, have their covers blown by drug dealers. Arrested, they wait execution or to be rescued by police forces that would risk expose a larger operation.