Content from Wonder Maria Filmes

A family with a long history (and many members) gathers around a table in a mansion in southern Portugal. The region has transformed from a depressed area into a thriving tourist destination. Kisses, hugs, and greetings quickly turn into complaints and reproaches surrounding the big issue: What should be done with Daddy’s house? It is a tempting piece of cake, laden with rich family memories. But progress cannot be stopped.

Persian-Kurdish Lela and her American daughter June take a trip to the romantic Azores after a recent loss, both with polar opposite views about why they’re there, how to grieve, and the size of June’s tiny bikini. Amidst honeymooners, the Woman, Life, Freedom movement and their hot, philosophical tour guide, João, the pair find each other… coming back to life.

On October 12, 1972, during a student meeting at the former Higher Institute of Economic and Financial Sciences, a PIDE/DGS agent shot two students. One of them, José Ribeiro Santos, died soon after at Santa Maria Hospital. His death sparked massive protests, and his funeral became a symbol of resistance against the dictatorship. More than a year before the April 25 Revolution, students declared, “That day, we lost our fear.” Diana Andringa’s documentary revisits this event through testimonies and reflections on its lasting impact on a generation and on Portuguese society.

Toppling statues and symbols, building new memories, framing the altered landscape, writing letters to the future, and reversing power dynamics: Big Bang Henda is a documentary-poetry-manifesto about the work of Angolan artist Kiluanji Kia Henda.