The gritty lives of Portuguese villagers are shown in this action drama which shows the interaction between a married couple who have taken an unusual vow of celibacy and a gang of gypsies who are terrorizing their village. The film highlights many ancient religious traditions still current in these regions, as the villagers, devout Catholics, support the gypsy con-men by buying religious relics from them.
Maria, a blind girl apparently raped by her stepfather, is held in an isolated and dilapidated hospice, desperately awaiting a miracle by Our Lady of Fátima. Turned over by Angela, her aunt, into the care of Dr. Firmino, an imposing doctor, she will suffer moments of despair, grace, and fear, among beliefs, phantoms, and revelations.
Two neighboring villages fight over control of a stream to water their lands.
