Zé-do-Burro, a devout Christian, makes a promise to carry a large cross to the altar of Saint Barbara in Bahia after his donkey, Nicolas, is injured in a storm. He completes the task, but is met with hostility from the priest and local zealots when they discover he performed the promise in a Candomblé session. The situation escalates into chaos, with fights breaking out and the police being called. In the end, Zé-do-Burro is killed in a confrontation with the authorities, but his body is later taken into the church by the black community and placed on the altar of Saint Barbara.
The Given Word
A devout Christian makes a vow to Saint Barbara after she saves his donkey, but his good intentions are misinterpreted by those he encounters, testing his resolve to keep his promise.
