AllMovie

Based on Thomas Mann's tale The Holy Sinner, and filmed in a rural Brazilian dialect, this drama originated in a theater workshop from Brazil's Ceara region and features a largely non professional cast who play their roles with few costumes, little make-up and basically natural lighting. Long ago, a sad queen finally finds happiness when she learns that she is pregnant. Unfortunately, she dies while giving birth to twins, a boy and a girl. The two siblings grow up and fall in love with each other. They are very happy until the girl gets pregnant and they are forced to separate. Later, she puts her baby to sea in a boat. Years pass and the baby, who was discovered by fisherman, grows to be a handsome man while his estranged mother grows up to become the wretched queen of a deeply troubled country. One day the youth returns to that land. He and the queen fall madly in love and become lovers. Once again, the queen is happy until she learns her lover's identity. Appalled, the queen pays penance by serving the sick while her son takes refuge in a cave where he becomes a quasi-saint and local sage. Eventually, he and his mother are destined to meet again.