Monteiro's feature-length debut journeys physically and historically through the times and legends of a countryside, in this case rural Portugal from the rocky north of Trás-Os-Montes to the arid plains of the Alentejo, two regions divided by not just landscape, but politics. “We conceived it as a political film,” recalls cinematographer Acácio de Almeida, “a dialogue between regional opposites.” “It reminds me of a story,” says one character, and indeed storytelling is Trails' delight and focus, where one story immediately launches another. Centuries and times merge into one as we move from place to place: an enchanted Moorish princess here, an old shepherd singing a folk-song there; landowners complaining of communist demonstrators here, old women hopping on their knees in a mountain field there. Sailing ships, buried treasures, military crackdowns, woodcutters, lovers, donkeys, and priests: Monteiro reveals the legends, myths, and heart of his sometimes-beloved Portugal, and connects the dots among ancient fables, farmers' songs, and modern cinema.