Camus' winner of the Palme d'Or winner at the 1959 Cannes Film Festival is a modern reinterpretation of the myth of Orpheus which simultaneously celebrates the beauty, music and people of Brazil. In this version of the ages-old tale, Orpheus is a streetcar conductor and star Carnival dancer who is betrothed to the determined Mira but is in love with Eurydice. As Mira and Death himself pursue the doomed Orpheus and his lover through the streets of Rio de Janeiro, Carnival literally brings the streets to life. Lush photography and the timeless and brilliant bossa nova sounds of Jobim give the film a distinct power and beauty.