The year is 1950. Classical piano prodigy Eurídice dreams of studying at the Vienna Conservatory. Her sister, Guida, however, is the first of the siblings to make it to Europe, albeit fleetingly: after having eloped with a Greek sailor, Guida soon returns to Rio de Janeiro pregnant and alone, unbeknownst to Eurídice. Kept apart by a terrible lie, years pass as the two sisters forge their respective paths through their city's teeming bustle, each believing the other to be half a world away.
The Fever tells the story of Justino, a 45-year-old member of the indigenous Desana people, who works as a security guard at the Manaus cargo port. Since the death of his wife, his main company is his youngest daughter who he lives with on the outskirts of town. A nurse at a local health clinic, Vanessa is accepted to study medicine in Brasília, and plans to leave shortly. As the days go by, Justino is overcome by a strong fever. During the day, he fights to stay awake at work. During the night, a mysterious creature follows his footsteps. Meanwhile, a visit from his brother makes him remember the life he left deep in the jungle twenty years prior. Between the oppression of the city and the distance of his native village, Justino is no longer able to endure an existence without a sense of belonging.
In powerful images, alternating between documentary observation and staged sequences, and dense soundscapes, Luiz Bolognesi documents the Indigenous community of the Yanomami and depicts their threatened natural environment in the Amazon rain forest.