Harvey, the arrogant and spoiled son of an indulgent absentee-father, falls overboard from a transatlantic steamship and is rescued by a fishing vessel on the Grand Banks. Harvey fails to persuade them to take him ashore, nor convince the crew of his wealth. The captain offers him a low-paid job, until they return to port, as part of the crew that turns him into a mature, considerate young man.
Falacha is the captain of a fishing boat, who loses his men in a shipwreck. Among them was the husband of Aurélia, who holds Falacha responsible for the tragedy. Maria, Falacha's daughter, falls in love with Manuel, Aurélia's son, a situation that their mothers refuse to accept.
The sea can be many things; provider of food and work, playmate or harbinger of death. Set in the 1950s in the fishing town of Nazare, the ocean takes different shapes as it interacts with each member of a small family.
Following a real lost myth, in Vila Chã, we search for the sea women called "fisherwomen" in one of the few places in the world where women are skippers. But where are they and the 120 small-scale fishing boats? There are just 8 boats and a single fisherwoman. In a land of brave seamen, we have filmed the passion for the sea and the passion for fishing. - Doclisboa
