During the first part of the movie (1910-1919), Fernanda Montenegro plays the part of Dona Maria, and her real-life daughter, Fernanda Torres plays the part of her daughter Áurea. As the movie jumps to 1942, Montenegro now plays the part of Áurea, and Torres plays the part of Áurea's daughter, Maria. When the movie jumps again to 1969, Fernanda Montenegro plays the part of both Áurea and Maria.
Director Andrucha Waddington never hesitated to direct the sex scene of his wife Fernanda Torres with Seu Jorge. "Obviously it wasn't the most pleasant thing to shoot. But the film needed the scene and I wasn't going to stop filming it because the actress is my wife. It was a necessary scene, that thing of the white skin with the black skin, it's the summary of the film," Waddington said. The version of the scene shown in the cinema (more explicit than the one edited on the DVD) made many think that Torres and Jorge really had sex on camera. "Nanda and I were afraid that scene would end our marriage. Really. When we were filming, I lived in another hotel, I didn't sleep with Nanda," Waddington revealed.
Fernanda Torres revealed that Seu Jorge, before to film the sex scene with her (and directed by Andrucha Waddington, Fernanda's husband), he was worried about the 'technical thing'.
"We went to do the scene. Me in the middle of Andrucha and Seu Jorge. Andrucha, at the same time as he wanted the scene, was getting mad. And Seu Jorge, I kept telling him: 'No, Seu Jorge, it's technical. Look, Seu Jorge, kiss here, lie down here, take your clothes off here'. Then, one hour, Seu Jorge turns around and says: 'I get it. Now I'm going to try a 'freestyle'. Then the other guy turns around and says: 'Freestyle my ass!'
That scene. There was more to this scene. They decided to do it in an open location. So it was me and Seu Jorge, naked, there, God willing... It's not just because... He's wonderful. And he... Every night there was a serenade with Seu Jorge."
Director Waddington wrote the two lead roles especially for his wife Ms. Torres and his mother-in-law, Ms. Montenegro.
The movie was filmed entirely in the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, an ecosystem of sand dunes in Maranhão State (northeastern Brazil).