Madame Satã is inspired by the legends and myths built around the real life character João Francisco dos Santos (1900-1976), also known as Madame Satã. The film is set in the 1930s, in the bohemian neighborhood of Lapa in Rio de Janeiro, as João Francisco is about to achieve his dream: becoming a stage star.

A tall black man - a Brazilian version of Genet - a proud rascal, female impersonator, gangster, convicted prisoner and adoptive father, João Francisco spent most of his life in the streets of Rio de Janeiro.

Aïnouz's first feature is as feverish as its protagonist. Throughout the film we get to know the cast of characters who surround João Francisco in the sordid yet lively world of Lapa, a cast of pimps, prostitutes, samba composers and bohemians.
The film takes us on an intimate journey into the day-to-day life of João Francisco and his close friends, focusing on the crucial period immediately before the Madame Satã myth was created. João Francisco took the name from the title of a 1930 Cecil B. De Mille film for which he felt a strong passion.

Throughout his 76 years - 27 of which were spent in prison – João Francisco dos Santos always challenged the stigmas of being illiterate, black, poor, and homosexual. With a remarkable ability to enter the skin of different characters, he defined himself as "son of Iansã and Ogum (deities of African origin, originally worshiped by slaves), and devout follower of Josephine Baker". He created a number of personae for himself, such as Divina La Negra; Jamacy, the Queen of the Forest; the Shark, the Wild Pussycat.

Through the character of João Francisco, a son of ex-slaves, this film examines the blossoming of a pulsating urban Afro-Brazilian culture that emerged in Rio de Janeiro in the post-abolition years, a culture forged after 1888 as an expression of resistance to a society that had no use for Black people after the abolition of slavery. Madame Satã is not only the story of a fascinating real life character, but also an attempt to bring to light a crucial moment of the Afro-Brazilian Diaspora.

Madame Satã is Karim Aïnouz’s first feature. He also wrote the script. The film marks the début of actor Lázaro Ramos in a main role. Marcélia Cartaxo as Laurita and first-timer Flávio Bauraqui as Taboo are João Francisco's "family". Fellipe Marques, Emiliano Queiroz, Renata Sorrah, Floriano Peixoto, Ricardo Blat and Guilherme Piva complete the cast.