Before Cinema Novo revolutionized the Brazilian cinematic scenery, a young craftsman and Bahian filmmaker had already paved the way for the beginning of the journey for some of the biggest and most popular films of Brazilian history. The documentary tells fragments of the story of director Roberto Pires, through snippets of his life and a journey through his body of work, interspersing archival footage, scenes of his films and an interview with his son, also a filmmaker, Petrus Pires, followed by a poetic narration and an original soundtrack inspired by his film Abrigo Nuclear.

Roberto Pires: Êle Fêz O Cinema Baiano Nascer

Since the 1970s, Roberto Pires has militated against the use of nuclear energy. For that, he went looking for the biggest Brazilian name in this subject, César Lattes, professor of Nuclear Physics at UNICAMP. Believing that nuclear energy could, in the long run, extinguish human life. With the collaboration of Orlando Senna, he writes the screenplay for the film “Abrigo Nuclear”, an ambitious production, science fiction film entirely produced and shot in Bahia. With little money, armed with his creative ability, Roberto builds a 'spaceship' and a studio in the backyard of his house. He calls children, relatives and friends and begins production on “Nuclear Shelter”, which is released in 1981.
 With statements by Orlando Senna, Laura Pires, Nonato Freire, among others, the documentary "Bahia SCI-FI" intends to explore the universe that surrounded Roberto Pires, Bahia and the possible nuclear war of the late 1970s and early 1970s. 1980.