Miracle in Rome

Margarito, a modest court employee in Filandia, waits for Evelia with a gift—a flipping monkey. Evelia greets him with a kiss and hug before she dies suddenly from an unknown cause. Margarito is left devastated by the loss of his beloved daughter.

Twelve years have passed since Evelia's death. Margarito returns to the cemetery to exhume her remains so they won't be buried in a mass grave as the parish plans to construct a new cemetery. The townspeople watch with a mix of reverence and curiosity as the procedure begins.

To everyone's astonishment, Evelia's coffin is rotted around but the corpse looks as if she had fallen asleep and remains warm. Margarito is stunned by the sight and the crowd buzzes with whispers of a miracle. The discovery triggers the town's heated debate over what is happening.

The toy monkey begins to move on its own during the funeral, stirring further talk of a miraculous intervention. The bishop is summoned to determine whether this is sacred or merely superstition. Margarito stands by his daughter's side, steadfast and hopeful.

The bishop orders Evelia's body to be buried again and the coffin watered to speed decomposition. Margarito refuses to allow harm to his daughter or to sabotage the apparent miracle. Tension rises as the community weighs belief against skepticism.

As the bishop visits, a total solar eclipse darkens the sky. The crowd in Filandia turns against doubt and shouts that Evelia is a saint. The episode cements the sense that something beyond explanation has happened.

The town organizes an emergency collection to raise funds for Margarito and Evelia to travel to Rome for the Holy Father's judgment. Neighbors, parishioners, and local merchants contribute generously, driven by a belief in a higher sanction. Margarito carries his daughter's case with quiet dignity.

Margarito is welcomed in Rome by the Colombian ambassador and his secretary, who see strategic value in the boy's case. He travels to stay with Antonio, a fellow Colombian opera singer, but rejects embassy help to avoid politicizing the process. Margarito carries his daughter's belongings with restraint and dignity.

In the Vatican, Margarito faces bureaucratic obstacles as curia officials promote the embassy route. He remains calm and determined, presenting a letter of recommendation and his daughter's story. The steps toward beatification move slowly under a veil of red tape.

Antonio's singing test draws attention as his voice fills the room and even shatters windows, an event the crowd compares to Caruso’s era. Margarito quietly supports his friend, honoring Evelia and his daughter's memory with his steadfast faith. Antonio credits Margarito as the true catalyst behind the miraculous attention.

The embassy secretary and mortuary authorities press Margarito to accept the embassy-driven path, while a fake bishop swindles him out of much of his money. Margarito's resolve does not waver as he continues to seek a direct religious examination. The financial and administrative pressure is intense but he remains dignified.

Margarito pleads with Evelia to wake, and the toy monkey begins to play by itself in the surroundings used for the pilgrimage. Evelia's body shows signs of life as Margarito's hope grows, even as the machinery of the Vatican looms. The moment blends longing with the uncanny as the impossible starts to seem plausible.

Evelia awakens, and Margarito's joy is complete as the miracle seems to overcome death. The crowd—and eventually the Church authorities—acknowledge the extraordinary event, turning the Rome trip into a symbol of faith. The film closes on a note that love can conquer time and doubt.