Central Station 1998

Dora, a retired schoolteacher turned letter writer at Rio de Janeiro’s bustling Central Station, has become as worn out as her once-sharp pencils. Her lack of patience and sometimes brutal efficiency in penning letters for her illiterate clients has become a defense mechanism against a life that’s left her feeling jaded and embittered. Yet, amidst the monotony, she finds an unexpected spark when Josué, a vulnerable 9-year-old boy, walks into her life. His mother, recently deceased in a tragic bus accident just outside the station, had hired Dora to write letters on her behalf, leaving behind a legacy of uncertainty for Josué - namely, the hope of finding his unknown father.

As fate would have it, Josué’s presence sets off a chain reaction that forces Dora to confront her own demons. Feeling an inexplicable sense of responsibility towards the boy, she begins to see him as a symbol of hope and redemption in her otherwise bleak existence. When Josué is subsequently left homeless after his mother’s passing, Dora finds herself drawn into a series of impulsive decisions, including “trafficking” him to a corrupt couple before ultimately stealing him back out of guilt.

As the two navigate this precarious landscape together, they embark on an odyssey that takes them from the gritty streets of Rio to the sun-scorched heartland of northeastern Brazil. Initially hesitant to take on the role of guardian, Dora eventually warms up to Josué’s charms and decides to accompany him on a quest to find his father.

Their journey is marked by a series of misadventures, including a botched attempt to abandon Josué at a bus station, where he inadvertently leaves behind their only source of income - the money from Dora’s watch. Penniless and adrift, they are taken in by a kind-hearted evangelical truck driver who ultimately abandons them after Dora tempts him with beer and excessive familiarity.

In desperation, Dora trades her treasured timepiece for a ride to “Bom Jesus do Norte,” a small town where Josué’s father is rumored to reside. Though they arrive only to find that he has long since vanished, leaving behind nothing but a faint memory of his existence. Undeterred, Josué suggests that Dora write letters for the pilgrims flocking into Bom Jesus, a stroke of genius that helps them scrape together enough money to make it to their next destination.

As they travel to the new settlements, where Josué’s father is said to have won a house in a lottery, they are met with yet another cruel twist - he has vanished once more, leaving behind only whispers and rumors. As the truth begins to sink in, Dora is faced with an existential crisis: should she continue on this journey of discovery with Josué by her side, or will their shared struggles ultimately drive them further apart?

As Isaías (Josué’s half-brother) labors on the rooftop, he becomes entangled in an unexpected encounter that sets off a chain of events. News of the search for his father, Jesus, reaches him, prompting an invitation to join Dora and Josué for dinner at his house, where they meet Moisés (Josué’s other half-brother). This gathering serves as a poignant moment of revelation, as Isaías confides in Dora about their family’s complex history. He reveals that Jesus married Ana, Josué’s mother, nine years prior, after the passing of their mother, and that she had left him six months ago to find solace in Rio. The emotional weight of this disclosure is palpable, as Isaías shares a letter written by Jesus, detailing his intentions to find Ana and their long-lost son. With a promise to return and reunite the family, Jesus implores Ana to wait for him. Dora’s eyes well up with tears as she contemplates the prospect of meeting Josué, while Isaías and Josué share an unwavering optimism that their father will indeed return.

The next morning, under the cover of darkness, Dora slips away, leaving behind the letters - Jesus’ heartfelt plea to Ana and her own long-held desire for family reunification. Josué wakes up too late to intercept her departure, and as she boards the bus bound for Rio, he is left with only memories and a poignant letter from Dora. Both are reduced to the photographs they had taken, a tangible reminder of their shared experiences.