A night out among students culminates in a sordid early-morning encounter. A village in the Alentejo region gradually empties of its inhabitants, until only a grandfather and his grandson remain. The nature of the grandson’s work leads him to stumble upon a case of political corruption. His forgotten past is brought to light through the intervention of a young magistrate. The story follows the fate of this village, as well as that of the protagonists of that sordid night—and of that political intrigue.