It is a romanticized retelling of the true story of Chica da Silva, an 18th-century African slave in the state of Minas Gerais, who attracts the attention of João Fernandes de Oliveira, a Portuguese sent by Lisbon with the Crown's exclusive contract for mining diamonds, and eventually becomes his lover, rises into power and into the Brazilian high society of the time. Moreover, João quickly lets the intendant and other authorities know that he can be bribed, and gets onto their corruption scheme.
A fictionalized account of the true story of Chica da Silva, an 18th-century African slave in Minas Gerais, who captures the attention of João Fernandes de Oliveira, a Portuguese envoy sent by Lisbon with the Crown's exclusive mining contract for diamonds, and eventually becomes his lover. She rises to prominence and into the high society of Brazil during that era.  João quickly reveals his susceptibility to bribery and gets involved in the corruption scheme of the intendant and other authorities.