Loosely based on the book A Grande Arte by Brazilian Rubem Fonseca, it is one of the first theatrical works of Salles Jr.

The thugs are discovered to be working for an undisclosed Brazilian criminal organization closely tied with the Bolivian cocaine cartel.

The disk is ultimately found, and Mandrake learns that the organization head murdered the call girl himself, slashing her face in an act of arrogance.

This reinvigorates his passion for photography, and, whereas he used to take pictures of violent and dangerous situations, now his work has a theme of love and simple pleasures.

The film explores the mysterious and hidden world of the "Persevs" (a portmanteau of the words perforate and sever) fighters and some famous knifesmiths, such as Rex Applegate and William.