Valdemar, a 35-year-old musician from São Nicolau Island, Cape Verde, dedicates himself to the Blue Star Carnival block, refusing to leave for places like Rotterdam, Rome, New York, or São Paulo, unlike many others on the island. His older sister Lúcia disapproves, but Valdemar is determined to stay connected to his culture and history. His conviction wavers with the return of Mariana, now 30, a childhood friend and newly crowned queen of the block. After 20 years away, Mariana, now a doctor facing a turbulent divorce, returns to confront her past, particularly the memory of her mother, Teresa, who chose not to return to São Paulo in 2004. A modern take on the classic Romeo & Juliet forbidden love trope, set agains the rugged mountainscape of São Nicolau Island.