In 1974 the Portuguese and their descendants must leave Angola because the inhabitants of their former colony finally won their independence and gradually bringing their territory back. A girl from an African tribe discovers love and death when her path crosses a Portuguese soldier. At the same time, a Portuguese military detachment barricades itself inside walls they will eventually have to leave after history leaves its grave in order to execute long-awaited justice. The film is a reflexion on history, war and fear, and the metaphysics of tyranny. History turns into present, and present into history in a layered nightmarish adventure by Carlos Conceição on Portugal’s colonial heritage. His young soldiers slowly lose their minds and become human machine guns – numb with boredom and devoid of any moral responsibility. In this absurdist meta-story, Conceição often cites cinematic history – especially the glorious portrayals of the Vietnam war. It makes sense because wars are always the same, as one of the characters notices. But unfortunately, this means that we have learned nothing from them, and that the cycle of madness goes on eternally – from Vietnam to Palestine, from Bosnia to Ukraine. The film’s original title, Nação Valente is a citation of the Portuguese anthem, evoking a „brave, fearless nation“, but the concept of patriotism is here questioned indeed. At the same time, Conceição is not concerned with specific dates and names of forgotten leaders, but deals with conflict in general, but also specifically with conflict between men and women who upset the military drill and the machinery of killing. Conceição enriches his film by genre elements as well, because what is war but pure horror. (DP)

Awards and festivals: 

Locarno Film Festival (2022) – world premiere; Europa Cinemas Label award, Youth Jury Award; Seville European Film Festival (2022); Thessaloniki Film Festival (2022); Belfast Film Festival (2022); São Paulo International Film Festival (2022)