In a remote village in Alentejo, the train is the only connection to the world and to the politics of the capital. The news of the establishment of the Republic is spread by telegraph, but in this Alentejo village, telegraph operator Miguel Zuzarte is a staunch monarchist who hides the message he has received from everyone. For days, the people wonder about the absence of the train, and the telegraph operator does everything he can to cover up the unreported news. The train will return to the village, and the impact of the end of the monarchy is not what one might imagine.