The film, created in exile from 1971 to 1973 between Cuba and Rome, is considered a "semi-finished" work by Glauber Rocha. It has a certain pedagogical character and seeks, through dialectical editing, to conduct a critical review of colonization, class struggle, messianism, and the establishment of populist governments in the Third World. There is a chronology in the events presented, which, supported by extensive iconography (films, engravings, photos, etc.), create "free" associations that allow the viewer a "polyphonic" view of the "History of Brazil."
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| JJésus HistonSelf - Narrator | Self - Narrator |
| EEmilio Garrastazu MédiciSelf (archive) | Self (archive) |
| HHumberto de Alencar Castelo BrancoSelf (archive) | Self (archive) |
 João GoulartSelf (archive) | Self (archive) |
| JJânio QuadrosSelf (archive) | Self (archive) |
 Juscelino KubitschekSelf (archive) | Self (archive) |
 Getúlio VargasSelf (archive) | Self (archive) |
 Fidel CastroSelf (archive) | Self (archive) |
 Che GuevaraSelf (archive) | Self (archive) |
 John F. KennedySelf (archive) | Self (archive) |
| JJirges RistumNot listed | Not listed |
 Richard NixonSelf (archive) | Self (archive) |
| AArthur da Costa e SilvaSelf (archive) | Self (archive) |