在这部独立之父历史片中,十九世纪末期，政府向著名的乌拉圭画家布拉内斯提出塑造阿蒂加斯传说。在寻找灵感的时候，画家找到了七十年前西班牙间谍的笔记。电影讲述了三个男人的故事：带领军队逃离的反抗者阿蒂加斯，西班牙间谍和布拉内斯，试图描绘一个真正的民族英雄。
In 1884, the famous painter Juan Manuel Blanes, from Uruguay, is asked to create a portrait of José Artigas. There is only one drawing of his face, done in his old age so Blanes must imagine what he looked like by reading up on his ideas and learning about his life. Amongst the different materials he is given in order to "discover" Artigas' features, Blanes finds the notes of an old Spanish spy, Aníbal Larra, hired by the Argentine triumvir Manuel de Sarratea, to kill Artigas, the rebel chief who will not succumb to the dominance of Buenos Aires. At the time, Artigas was hiding out in Ayuí, to the north of what is known today as Uruguay.
