In sixteenth century Brazil, a Frenchman is caught by a cannibalistic tribe of Indians. When he demonstrates his skill with firearms, they decide to spare his life so that he can train them in the use of the cannon, which will come in handy in their fights against the Portuguese conquerors.

He settles down with the tribe; sheds his clothes, adopts their customs, is even allowed to shack up with a comely widow. He discovers buried treasure, which he uses to buy ammunition and, incidentally, gains I time to plot his escape. In a battle with the Portuguese, he leads the tribe to victory, but by that time, he has outlived his usefulness to them ...

This unusual comedy, directed by the father of Brazil's cinema novo, Nelson Pereira dos Santos, shows in a microcosmos what probably happened in South America when different cultures met and interacted , during the early days of its colonisation.