AllMovie

This Brazilian fantasy ostensibly tells the story of a child who works miracles, but it also subtly attacks the morality of Brazilian society. The story begins on a river as a man bids goodbye to his children. His wife has told him never to come back and so he paddles out into the current. His son Liojorge comes to the riverside every day to leave a small cache of food for his father. He follows a stray cow one day and discovers his wife to be. Upon their wedding, he takes his wife, Alva to the river and introduces her to his father, who is not seen. A year passes and the couple has a daughter. 5 years later they discover that she has the ability to work miracles large and small. When four gangsters spy Alva, one of them decides he must have her. To protect his wife, Liojorge moves the family to Brasilia. Even in the capital's slums, the child works miracles; she is nicknamed the Little Saint. The gangsters kidnap Alva and Liojorge does something extreme to get her back. The film ends on a mysterious note.