Five maids in São Paulo are observed in this episodic, impressionistic film. The women interact with each other, ride busses, work, and have longings: Rai for a husband, Créo for her lost daughter, Roxane for a career in modeling. Quitéria is naive, a gull for thieves. Cida has a husband and also a lover. While each woman gets what she wishes for (more or less), it doesn't always make things better. As Roxane says, no child sets out to become a maid. But once there, are all other doors closed?
Cláudia Missura, Graziela Moretto, Lena Roque, Olívia Araújo, Renata Melo, Robson Nunes, Tiago Moraes
- Directed by: Fernando Meirelles and Nando Olival
- Written by: Cecília Homem de Mello, Fernando Meirelles, Renata Melo and Nando Olival
- Production: Andrea Barata Ribeiro and Ana Soares
- Executive Production: Bel Berlinck Andrea and Barata Ribeiro
- Music: André Abujamra, Mano Bap and Marcos Bowie
- Film Festival Brugge - Youth Award
- Rotterdam Film Festival - nominated for the Tiger Award
- Recife Film Festival 2001 - Best Photography, Best Supporting Actress (joint work by actresses Cláudia Missura, Graziella Moretto, Lena Roque, Olivia Araújo and Renata Melo)
- Cine Ceará - Best Actress (joint work by actresses Cláudia Missura, Graziella Moretto, Lena Roque, Olivia Araújo and Renata Melo)
- Cuiabá Film and Video Festival - Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best New Actress (Graziella Moretto)
- Festnatal - Best Actor (Thiago Moraes), Best Supporting Actor (Eduardo Estrela), Best Music (André Abujamra)