Gregori Warchavchik

At the heart of Rio de Janeiro's downtown, an empty square with a dry fountain and an underground parking. There was located the Monroe Palace, that once housed the Senate, and was mysteriously demolished forty years ago. A history of sabers and lions, military and architects, past and future.

A film in three movements. In the first one, we find a historical synthesis of Brazilian architecture, from the slaves' dwellings to the Ministry of Education Building. In the second segment, architects such as Burle Marx, Lina Bo Bardi, Grigori Warchavchik and Joaquim Cardoso talk about architecture's social function. In the third movement, inhabitants of some Brazilian cities discuss the space they live in.