The owners barely visit this ancient house in northern Portugal anymore. It has spread out like a mute testimony to a bygone age. Emília, an elderly housekeeper, has become its landlady and is doing her best to keep the house alive. Her enormous commitment to high standards might be sufficient, but it is not strong enough to ward off reminders of physical exhaustion. She is assisted by her friend Ana, who is dreaming of a better life in France. Her daughter Mónica begins to question the two women’s choices to sacrifice themselves with such selflessness and solidarity. As the seasons change, the three generations of women feel that the silent walls both bring them closer and drive them further apart.

Légua is a hypnotic and poetic festival discovery that started its journey to reach its audience in the auteur section Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival. Directed by the Portuguese-born duo of Philippa Reis and John Miller, the evidence of a time that has passed – the cool stone walls of the house, the rituals of the serving class, the legacy of feudalism, the slow aura of the century that inhabits the 16mm long takes – forms the crystalline structure of the film. Each of the central characters is exposed in a melancholy, intriguing way – each has her own mantras and dreams, ideals and goals, yet the house and their sense of duty compel them to stay. They could be mythological figures, familiar to us, but their relatable desires force them to conform to a present and a pace that we no longer recollect.

This film is screened as part of a cooperation with Lācis, lauva un zars.