Sacavém: The Films of Pedro Costa

A small village in the centre of Portugal saw many of its inhabitants emigrate in the 60s and 70s. Many of them came back to "die at home", while others didn’t manage to do so, such as my parents. I go to the village and I visit the places where they were born, lived and died. I try to remake memories. I wonder whether my parents would live as all those who managed to return

Lisbon, 1938. Mr. Pereira is the editor of the culture section of an evening paper. Although fascism is on the rise in Europe, like in nearby civil war Spain or even inside Portugal itself in the form of Salazar's regime, Pereira only concerns himself with writing bios and translating French novels. Things change after he hires a young writer as his assistant, getting to know also his girlfriend – both opponents to the regime – and reluctantly helps them when they begin to get in trouble for subversive activities. Eventually, he's forced to take a stand...

Dialogue of Shadows uses the exhibition "Pedro Costa: Company" as its raw material, and as a starting point to build a mosaic, sparking a dialogue between several figures from filmmaker Pedro Costa's creative imagination.

I find myself in the middle of a Portuguese forest. A set of abandoned objects related to the attraction's fairs make me think of a schoolmate who wanted to be a ballet dancer. Bumper Cars and a rabbit I found in the forest sparked memories of the visits I made to the Fairs. Then I became a memories collector in contact with these objects. David, Empar, Manuel and Zé join me in this film.

Chantal Akerman and Pedro Costa meet in a movie theatre.

In what way does contemporaneity look at objectuality, the world of objects and their relations to human beings? Objects are among us, we’re connected to them, they talk; we create them, but we’re also created by them; they affect us, they inhabit our imaginary, they are part of our memory, together with us they create our community. José Bragança de Miranda convenes a peculiar set of objects to this reflexion.

Four film critics, accompanied by the discreet presence of a director, analyse the origins of their cinephilia.

Can a turtle, the most pacific animal on earth, start a range of significant events that are going to forever change a couple's life? After dividing all their assets, Arnaldo e Barbara still have one decision to make before they formalize their separation: what to do with the turtle? Amongst hesitation and failed solutions, unintended burglaries, police stations, plastic natures and misunderstandings, a single turtle fate is postponing this couple's separation. Because they know that, when they give the turtle back to its natural habitat, their relationship will be over. Are they ready for that last step?

António, Zé Maria, and João live in the house they are building. For two years, they reinitiate the process once or twice according to their work in the house. The changes in the bedrooms force constant changes in the living organization. The rooms change. Their habitants change as well. Time passes. The house comes to life.

Manuel João Vieira shows us his home - or homes - and the characters who live there. The starting point is the characters' definition and the Casa Manuel Vieira exhibition. The Italian neighbour and the accidental tourist help us create scenarios on the man and the artist. In short, it is Manuel João Vieira and his rather particular working universe.

Félix, a Down syndrome child who is passionate about soccer gets the opportunity to take part in the main soccer team in a match against the rival school.