Segismundo (Tony Ramos) is a former political police officer of Getúlio Vargas' government who used to torture prisoners. In April 1945 he is the chief of the Immigration Office in Rio de Janeiro and therefore is in charge of preventing the entry of Nazis. Then the Polish Clausewitz (Dan Stulbach) must convince him that he is a victim in order to gain access to the country. Peacetime is a film that turns a very complex issue (i.e. immigration) into a simple story of a day that changes the lives of two men.