The old servant and chronicler Dom Sabas tells how his desolate South American town is the scene of a ruthless power struggle. The landowning Assis family, reduced to a widow and son, tries to hold out against the young, despotic mayor. No less effective then actions are anonymous rumors and accusations, which often stir the inhabitants' moves.
Helga is a tarot reader and works on an erotic telephone line. The story of his story gives rise to the appearance of different characters who belong to a world without many moral values. Everyone tries to "save themselves" in their own way between having a lot of hope or a little. A TV news program tells about a suitcase full of dollars from the "laundering" of money that belongs to an influential businessman linked to Power. The businessman instructs Helga to take the suitcase out of the country. The suitcase will never reach its destination and will give Helga the opportunity to start a new life.
