Filmed entirely on the magnificent, sandy coast of northern Brazil, Aurea's saga begins in 1910, in Maranhao, where her fanatical father has relocated his family to start a farm. Desperate and pregnant, Áurea (Fernanda Torres) longs to return to the city, but cannot traverse the dunes with her aging mother, Maria (Fernanda Montenegro) in tow. When calamity strikes, the two women find themselves stranded. Eventually, they settle among the shifting sands and Aurea finds peace. But her passionate daughter, Maria, longs to explore the world beyond the dunes.

This profound portrait of passing generations has established Andrucha Waddington as one of the most exciting directors in Brazil today.