They are famous, weighed down by honour, celebrated, highly esteemed - aged and ancient. The father, in an attempt to save his son from becoming decrepit tries to drive his son to suicide. He has his work cut out for him. When the curtain falls on this tragic comedy, we have been moved in time to Porto in the thirties. Suzy, a kept woman, who is probably going to die on the operating table, sums up her philosophy on life: "This is but a detail." To comfort the dandy who has just had a very intense affair with this women, a friend tells him the tale of Fisalina. A country girl who discovers that her fingertips are made of gold. She becomes the mother of a river for a thousand years.