Besouro offers a transfixing glimpse into the roots of capoeira, an acrobatic martial art originating within the oppressive conditions faced by Brazilian migrant workers in the early 1900s. The film follows the young Besouro de Mangangá on a spirited journey to fulfill the mission of his former master. Shielded by the mystical forces of his ancestors, Besouro must overcome mounting pressure on all sides.