David has a wife and young daughter. In a few days he will be moving abroad with his family. The death of his grandfather obliges him to return to the village of his birth and a family he hasn’t seen in years. There he meets his cousin's wife Ana, who intrigues him, and this trip, which should have ended with the funeral, turns into a long stay.
Acting
Beatriz Batarda's watchful stillness — she does everything with her eyes.
Cinematography
Sun-bleached Alentejo landscapes that feel like another character.
Direction
Morais lets scenes breathe almost uncomfortably long.
Director
José Álvaro Morais
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Filmed in Morais's actual ancestral village; many extras are locals who'd never seen a film crew.
The title refers to Catholic Lent — forty days of deprivation, mirroring David's suspended state between two lives.
PT
