At 63 years old and almost retired, Joaquim is forced to follow job centre rules so he can collect unemployment benefits. Despite knowing that he will never return to active life, he must go from company to company asking for stamps to attest that he is looking for work. In these trips he reminis...

This exuberant documentary portrait of a city and its musicians highlights the innovative Afro-Portuguese music scene thriving on the outskirts of Lisbon.

Cinematographer Vasco Viana and Lisbon-born, London-based DJ Rita Maia depict a vibrant community of musicians and producers from diverse ba...

The word “campo” (field) comes from the Latin capere (to capture). “Campo de Marte” (The Field of Mars) was in the ancient times Rome’s training arena for war. At the outskirts of Lisbon, “Campo” hosts today Europe’s largest military base. In this place military troops train fictional missions, a...

A dive, the noon sunlight cuts through the water. The air in both lungs will have to be enough to rip the abalone from the rocks on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. With no aid from air tanks or any other tools to enable underwater breathing, the body as a whole is summoned to its limit. In Wagu,...

Augusto, a 70-year old man, is dealing with the sudden appearance of a 25-year old woman in his life, Cristina, the filmmaker. Since I first saw him, I had an urge to film this mysterious figure. Our initial fascination with each other unraveled into a seduction game, disclosing fragility, lust a...

Mariana is a young woman looking to fulfil the dream she was once committed with when she left her parents' house to live with Alex, in Lisbon. When he leaves to New York, she cannot bear what has been left for her. Even though the return seemed unthinkable, she goes back to the North.

The burd...

In 2008, the growing tourism industry of Cape Verde was frozen. The building of many hotels and resorts by foreigner companies had to be stopped due to a shortage of sand. The sand industry, primary resource for the production of concrete, had reached a dramatic level, endangering the beaches. Th...

The Secret History of Aviation is a poignant reflection on that which rises and that which falls. Its title and narration are taken from a piece written by Manuel Zimbro, in which he muses on what it is that prevents man from being able to fly, and what impact this limitation has on the natural w...

The Ave Valley is, for more than a century, a territory seized by an imposing industry. Amongst ruins and operating factories, we descend the river on a journey alongside the banks of the present, unveiling the marks of the past.

Dir. Tiago Hespanha and Frederico Lobo - 73mins - 2014 - Portugal ...