Ten-year old Mauro (Michel Joelsas) loves soccer (or football as it's referred to outside the U.S.) but he's oblivious to the his country's political upheavals. On this particular day, his parents, Daniel (Eduardo Moreira) and Miriam (Simone Spoladore) are behaving strangely; they seem nervous and agitated. They hustle Mauro into the car and abruptly head off to Sao Paulo. They explain that they will be going on vacation but that Mauro will have to stay with his grandfather M & oacute;tel (even though his family has never been close with the grandfather). His parents promise that they will return before Brazil plays in the World Cup Final. When the parents arrive in the grandfather's old Jewish/Italian neighborhood, they quickly leave Mauro on the street and rush off. Mauro is confused, although the audience is likely to sense the adults' tension and infer that the parents are fleeing from the oppressive government.
