Inspired by a true story, Evelia, a Mexican migrant, becomes the only witness to the murders of the mysterious family she works for. She must make the decision of her life if she is to survive.

When a worker is found murdered on the construction side, the investigation swiftly turns from things criminal to the political circumstances surrounding the building itself. Widespread corruption and neglect by the builder himself are seen to have brought the situation about. Much of the movie is filmed using hand-held cameras, and the majority of the dialogue is in the difficult-to-understand and very slangy Spanish dialect of Mexico City's bricklayers.

Rogelio’s story, a young man of humble origin in the neighborhood of Tepito, who falls in love with the daughter of a wealthy grocer, Michelle, but his marriage to her will be a failure and he will end up as a one more drunk.

After having his genitals brutally mutilated during childhood, a man must face prejudice and himself.

Tancredo, a poor man, is in love with a rich girl, who does not return his feelings. One day when she is bathing in a river, a flood sweeps her away and Tancredo is unable to save her. Mad with grief, he steals the sun. The gods call Apolinar to restore light to the earth, but he is obstructed by the magician of darkness, until by means of a telescope he is able to send a bag of light to Tancredo, now grown old. Tancredo goes to the seashore and opens the bag of light as an offering to his beloved, whereupon the sun returns to the earth.

Shmuck makes a superhero costume, rides his bike to crime scenes. He gets involved with something big involving US capitalists taking over local Mexican businesses.