The realities of life are harsh in Padre Cruz, a slum on the edge of Lisbon, and its inhabitants struggle with violence and poverty. The life in a decrepit Portuguese suburb through the story of a family attempting to transcend its hardships. Middle aged Márcia (Rita Blanco) works as cook in Helder's restaurant, who plans to marry with. She shares cramped quarters with her two young-adult children and her sister Ivete. Her daughter Cláudia shows promise in her nursing studies, but her son Joca is a delinquent with a suspicious supply of cash. Her hopes for her daughter's future are thrown into turmoil, however, when Cláudia announces she's having a relationship with a married professor, an admission that brings out the specter of Márcia's own past. Márcia is determined to bring the affair to an end, even if it means compromising her cherished relationship with Cláudia. In her late thirties and yearning for companionship, Ivete loves her family and has a soft spot for her nephew Joca, despite his frequent brushes with the law. When a notorious drug dealer discovers Joca has tried to cheat him, the latter turns to Ivete, the only person who will bail him out. The fallout from the incident has perilous consequences for them both.