In Mozambique, in 2000, a curse seems to take hold. Torrential rains pour down across the country, and long-buried landmines—remnants of the war of independence and civil wars—resurface due to shifting terrain. Civilian casualties multiply, turning once-secure areas back into danger zones. At the same time, the country is undergoing rapid transformation with the arrival of international industrialists: white South Africans settle in isolated villages and live in self-sufficient enclaves. These men work on large-scale development projects—like the Miramar Hotel—intended to attract an international clientele. Meanwhile, Chinese investors arrive, exploiting protected forests and threatening the integrity of a unique landscape. Corruption spreads freely among political leaders and foreign business interests. When one of them dies suddenly after stepping on a mine—just as he was about to bury compromising documents—the entire system risks being exposed. Damasio, his driver, unexpectedly finds himself in possession of the locked case containing the documents and becomes a target. His mother, Desteria, will stop at nothing to protect him. Traditional forms of exchange are called upon, as well as the invocation of feared spirits—the shetanis—which the local population believes Desteria has the power to appease.
