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This Brazilian film is the only entry from Latin America to take part the "Century of Cinema" celebration that is sponsored by the British Film Institute and is designed to allow prominent filmmakers to chronicle their country's cinematic history. Filmmaker Nelson Pereira dos Santos has devised a melodramatic tale to explore the film genre of melodrama. The framing story follows a prominent Brazilian director as he tries to deal with a recurring dream about his late mother who died when he was young. Believing that she killed herself after seeing a Mexican melodrama, he goes to Mexico City to see if he can discover the title of this film. He is accompanied by his student assistant Yves. There, they begin watching films, and as they watch, Yves offers his comments about the genre's significance in Latin America. The director then makes a pass at Yves, but the young man mysteriously vanishes. He returns to Brazil with neither his assistant, nor the film he desires. Later, the director receives a letter from Yves and a copy of the Argentine film Armino Negro which may be the film he wants. But though it is a true tearjerker, it was released long after his mother died.