The Seasons

For her first feature-length documentary, director Maureen Fazendeiro drew inspiration from the life and work of German archeologists Georg and Vera Leisner, who conducted important studies in Alentejo, in southern Portugal. In a creative exploration of the region, Fazendeiro interweaves the field notes they made in the area in the 1940s, and their correspondence with their homeland, with local legends, poems, and stories from farm workers.

Amateur footage, scientific drawings, and beautiful 16mm footage create a gentle portrait of Alentejo and the people who live there. Following the rhythm of the seasons, the film meanders through the recent history of war, revolution, and resistance. But through archaeological research into dolmens and other remains, which is ingeniously woven into the narrative, the film spans a much longer historical period.

The Seasons is a film that explores the landscape and voices of the people of Alentejo to reveal a shared past, but also offers time to dream in the southern Portuguese landscape.