For a Life Long Disease of Copper

See You Later Space Island

In the middle of the Atlantic, Helena rekindles an old friendship with Ceu, an astrophysicist who recently relocated to the Azorean island of Santa Maria to study exoplanets. Caught between the island’s geological inheritance and the vastness of the cosmos, the two friends reconcile with the various space exploration infrastructures that are stationed on the island. A work of science-fiction inspired by the various space resources currently existing in Santa Maria, See You Later Space Island is a loose tale of friendship and endurance.

Mood Keep

The world population of captive axolotl has had enough of the aggressive electric lights of their aquariums. Communicating via wireless waves and watching anime telepathically, they decide to develop eyelids to shut their eyes, reclaim the agency of their bodies and encourage empathic communication. Alice dos Reis’ Mood Keep imagines this collective moment of rebellion and resistance of the endangered salamanders.

Oh Be a Fine Girl Kiss Me

A soul waits to be reincarnated while reflecting back on her past life as a nun, who worked at the Vatican Astronomical Observatory in early-20th century. There, she took part in the “Carte du Ciel” — an ambitious international project to map the night sky, earning the early title of “computer” as a result of processing repetitive calculations. Disillusioned with her previous existence, she considers becoming a coder in her next life, amidst the wave of economic optimism awaiting her reincarnation in 1990s Portugal. Shot on 16mm film and smartphone, "Oh Be a Fine Girl Kiss Me" blends historical fiction and autobiography in a meditation on life’s choices and constraints, as well as on the systems and categories that shaped modernity.

Our Lady Who Burns

The Serra da Gardunha mountain range in central Portugal has long been associated with the unexplained. Over the years, alleged visions of saintly apparitions have given way to alien sightings, with witnesses reporting mysterious lights in the sky and rumours circulating that a UFO hangar lies hidden beneath the craggy rocks. Meanwhile, two friends speculate over the extent of the mountain’s power as they discuss whether its spirits might be able to offer relief to their old and heavily pregnant cat.