the film is a fictional version of the dramatic events of the 1969 abduction of the american ambassador charles burke elbrick (played by alan arkin) in 1969. elbrick was taken in rio de janeiro by the revolutionary movement 8th october (mr-8) with help of ação libertadora nacional (aln). gabeira (played by pedro cardoso and named paulo in the film) as a student joins the radical movement after the military takeover of the brazilian government. he and his comrades, led by andréia, gradually decided to kidnap the ambassador as a protest, and are shown mostly planning and executing the kidnapping. paulo is portrayed as "the most intelligent and uncertain of the kidnappers."