Malacopa (Hammered)

In the Mexican town of Santa Clara, Salma, a 16 year-old orphan who never got to meet her biological parents, has spent most of her life searching for clues of their identities and whereabouts, that is until she discovers a special book that is filled with stories of the town's past and the history of it's people.

A young woman opens an old family cookbook. From the pages appear miniature nuns in pop-up illustrations. The nuns come to life, jumping out of the book, and help the woman prepare convent sweets recipe for her bakery.

The sun rises in the city of Lisbon, the morning after its biggest festival, Santo Antonio. As the citizens wake up and start their day, the decorations from the party come to life to leave the city.

On the hilly lands of Portugal, a fire breaks out. Right after the blaze come the ashes, and following the ashes, the forest begins its rebirth.

On a cork oak farm deep in the village of Aldeia Velha, the warm Portuguese sun beams down on the white walls of a family home. Life is sweet here. Cherish these moments spent together.

It is cold and dark. In between surreal waves and the morning haze, we catch a glimpse of the emerging glows. The sea breeze wiggles and writhes, twisting and turning, embracing the shore under its steady growl. And on the sand, a young man stares into the far end of the ocean.

The sea can be many things; provider of food and work, playmate or harbinger of death. Set in the 1950s in the fishing town of Nazare, the ocean takes different shapes as it interacts with each member of a small family.

What is life without friendship? The threads of our lovers’ handkerchief bring to life the Portuguese tradition and tie the bond between two best friends. Peak with us into what makes up a connection between two little girls.

In the heart of the Douro Valley, the sun still illuminates the last gestures of the grape harvesters. The abundant nature sees the children wandering around, the landscapes change over the hours but already, a light wind lets herald the end of the holiday.

In a forgotten village, a woman lives as the last inhabitant of a place filled with shadows and silences. One night, she finds herself trapped in a disturbing nightmare: a wake where ghosts pray and a single empty grave awaits. This strange ritual forces her to confront the limits of her memory, where the past and the echoes of her existence intertwine with death, revealing hidden truths about her loneliness.