Zé Rocha, a director striving to make his first feature film, initially aims for a professional production using 35mm film. However, as his budget dwindles, he progressively downgrades to black-and-white, then 16mm, Super-8, and finally, to video. With assistance from producer Edna Marla, who seeks a purely Brazilian celluloid experience; his mother Dona Martírio, a former activist; underground film star Guará Rodrigues; and Lila Lessa, a soap opera actress, Zé develops various strategies and unconventional plans to navigate the challenges of filmmaking in Brazil.