Divination, sacrifice, spirit possession, and witchcraft all play a part in the preparation for a carnival that has taken place in the northeastern city of Recife in Brazil since the 17th century. Dona Elda is Queen of the Marcatu nation of Porto Rico, and as she explains, Carnival is actually the festival of Exum, the West African trickster god, master of rebellion, chaos, and revelry. The film follows her to victory for the third successive year at Carnival and through the much tougher task ahead.
