Dir.: Manoel de Oliveira; Script: Manoel de Oliveira; Phot.: Renato Berta; Ed.: Valérie Loiseleux; Mus.: Emmanuel Nunes; Cast: Marcello Mastroianni, Jean-Yves Gautier, Leonor Silveira, Diogo Doria, Isabel de Castro, Cecile Sanz de Alma, Isabel Rutti; Prod.: Madragoa Filmes, Av. D. Manuel 1, N3, 2890 Alochete (Portugal), tél.: (1) 234 21 85, fax: (1) 234 22 02; Sales: Gemini Films, 73, rue Saint Denis, 75001 Paris (France), tél.: (1) 40 39 03 75, fax: (1) 42 33 12 13 .

Alfonso, a French actor, has a part in a Franco-Portuguese co-production. His father had emigrated from Portugal to France before the war. Alfonso expresses an interest in visiting the village his father came from. One of his aunts is still alive. The director of the film and two other actors accompany him on his quest, in order to serve as interpreters. They pass through various places where the director grew up. The director reminisces. He is particularly inspired by a statue of Pedro Macao which depicts human suffering. When they reach the village, Alfonso's old aunt turns out to be shy and uncommunicative. She finds her nephew a bit hard to accept, particularly since she hadn't known of him before and they don't seem to speak the same language. Alfonso, however, rolls up his sleeve, and points out that the same blood flows in their veins. This remark hits home. She begins to warm to him. She recalls her dead brother... "It was the last film that Mastroianni was able to make before dying. I wanted it to be my own tribute to him. He already knew he was very ill, but he showed a vitality that was contagious for the rest of the cast and crew." -- Manoel de Oliveira "Never failing to surprise, Manoel de Oliveira, the Portuguese dean of esoteric filmmakers, delivers a change of pace... Mastroianni fans will find it hard not be moved by his portrayal of a character who calls himself old, lame and over the hill, and who looks death in the face with more irritation than philosophy." -- Deborah Young (Variety)