


Maria goes to Rio de Janeiro, where she is approached by a Swiss entertainment businessman and is coaxed to fly back to Switzerland with the man and work in his nightclub as a samba dancer. Maria is different from other girls in her town in that she craves adventure, but it is not until she has graduated and has worked two years in a draper's shop that Maria can save enough money for a small vacation. Maria has several experiences with young love but her true love never appears, leaving Maria to believe that she is destined to live without that most important element that she believes most people find. Although she is good at school and always tries to better her situation by reading books, Maria's only goal is to fall in love, marry, and raise a family. Maria grows up in a small town in the interior of Brazil where folklore, superstitions, and traditional roles for women are woven into the culture.

During her time in Switzerland, Maria experiences pain, pleasure, and love and must decide the correct path for her life. Her situation does not prove to be what she had hoped and she pursues a career in prostitution in order to make money quickly in order to return home. Eleven Minutes is the story of a young girl named Maria who leaves her Brazilian home to go to Geneva, Switzerland, in hopes of great adventure and great love.
