In 1945, in Garanhuns, in the countryside of Pernambuco, Luiz Inácio da Silva is born, the seventh child of Aristides and Dona Lindu. Aristides moves to Santos and Lindu raises the children alone until 1952 when the family moves to Santos to meet the patriarch.
As time goes on, the poor family struggles to survive with the children studying at elementary school and working as street vendors. Later Lindu leaves the alcoholic and abusive Aristides and moves with her children to São Paulo. Lula graduates as lathe operator and gets a formal job in the industry where he purposely cuts his own finger in a press, to get retirement by disability.