Zé is a very poor man whose most prized possession is his donkey. When his donkey falls terminally ill, Zé makes a promise to Saint Bárbara: If his donkey recovers, he will carry a cross - like Jesus - all the way from his city to Saint Bárbara's church, in the state capital. Upon the recovery of his donkey, Zé leaves on his journey. He makes it to the church, but the priest refuses to accept the cross once he discovers the context of Zé's promise.

With archive footage and testimonials from former filmgoers, a story of movie theaters that were located on the avenues of São João and Ipiranga and its surroundings, in São Paulo's city centre. Known as Cinelândia Paulistana, this area lived its heyday in the 1950s, reaching more than 15 cinemas in full operation.