Policewoman

Already traumatised by the death of her husband, a young mother faces another crisis when her small son is placed in custody for vandalising his school. Freeing him from the authorities, she takes flight with the boy and his girlfriend across northern Portugal, but the police are not far behind. After a slow start, the film gets into its stride in placing these figures within an inhospitable landscape, often shot during the magic hours of dawn and twilight, thus suggesting the apparent influence of Malick and Angelopoulos. Writer/director Sapinho is distanced, restrained, his meaning often elusive (only in the last scene do we understand the relevance of the title), yet the film's bone-deep melancholy and biting bleakness leave their mark. Far from fully achieved, but a hard one to shake off.