The first feature in António Reis and Margarida Cordeiro’s trilogy is a journey through this almost mythical region of north-east Portugal, a tapestry of micronarratives where past, present and future become intertwined.

Developed with a limited budget during the filmmakers’ holidays and free time, Trás-os-Montes was initially intended to portray different aspects of this culturally and geographically unique region – from flora to local crafts and architecture. However, the film turned into something entirely original, complicating straightforward definitions of documentary and ethnography. Rather than attempting to crystallise the region’s objects and practices, the directors reinvent its sounds and images, inaugurating a new chapter in Portuguese docufiction.

Along with Ana and Rosa de Areia, the two subsequent films in the trilogy, Trás-os-Montes screens here as part of the survey Into Their Labours: The Films of António Reis and Margarida Cordeiro

The screening will be introduced by Catarina Alves Costa.