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Two men from the agricultural northeast sector of Brazil head to Sao Paulo to find a better life (both men are played by Jose Dumont who won three "Best Actor" awards for the dual role). One of the men decides to make money working in a factory and sacrifices his own ethics in order to get ahead financially. His life is made all the worse by the mercenary world around him, and he is put in a vise as he is about to make a tragic decision. The other man becomes a street poet, deciding to follow his literary bent instead of his monetary instincts. As a result of his lifestyle, he is ostracized and harassed, though not dissuaded from his chosen vocation. Their parallel careers come together again, as the poet decides to write about his friend's life.