The daily routines of three families in a small village in northern Portugal: Women tell each other stories and prepare food, a father cuts down a tree while his children watch him, and young Isabel looks to the future. A quiet film, told with restraint, about the passing of time, about silence and life, in which at first glance changes only gently announce themselves. In 1985, the film celebrated its world premiere in Mannheim, where it won a Filmdukat. This extraordinary work has now been restored.