Returning to his homeland after many years away, Juvenal, an agricultural engineer with liberal ideas, finds himself caught up in the social unrest on the island of Madeira that preceded the 1974 revolution, which is condemned by his brother Álvaro, an embroidery manufacturer and staunch conservative. Exposed to the romantic schemes devised by Álvaro, Juvenal vigorously defends the exploited workers and is reunited with Elisabeth, the great love of his youth. Wounded while taking part in a popular demonstration that is violently suppressed by the police, he is sentenced to exile on the island of Sal. Elisabeth decides to accompany him, announcing that she is expecting his child... eternity!