Award-winning Portuguese writer-director Antonio Sequeira’s debut film, Autumn, paints an intimate portrait of the transitions a family goes through as time goes on and the loss and renewal that comes with it. Filmed in Baião, Portugal, this moving story has a beautiful backdrop.
In a small Portuguese town, young Tomás (Salvador Gil) prepares to leave his father, Otávio (Miguel Frazão), mother, Susana (Elsa Valentim), and sister, Belinha (Beatriz Frazão), to study abroad. A close family through and through — none of them are ready for the inevitable changes that distance and time will impose.
Frazão charms as Otávio, the family patriarch and a self-proclaimed adventurer and winemaker. He’s matched perfectly by Valentim, who conveys a deep, palpable love forged by years of sacrifice. Together, their chemistry is a masterclass in portraying the shared, unspoken grief of an empty nest, making their emotional journey the heartbreaking core of the film.
Tomás (Salvador Gil) and his sister Belinha (Beatriz Frazão) share a lighthearted moment among the vineyard rows in Autumn, directed by Antonio Sequeira.
“…young Tomás prepares to leave his father, Otávio, mother, Susana, and sister…”
Autumn effortlessly creates a rich history for this family, making the audience feel the sting as Tomás outgrows beloved rituals with each passing season. We watch the family mourn these small losses, and our own sorrow is skillfully guided by Filipe Caetano’s original score. This emotional journey is set against gorgeous cinematography, which uses the sweeping landscapes of the region to reflect the family’s own state of transition.
Beatriz Frazão brings an undeniable, playful energy to the role of Belinha. Her on-screen chemistry with Salvador Gil creates a big brother-little sister dynamic that feels both touching and raw. Sequeira’s screenplay uses this relationship to great effect, as Belinha’s evolution from girl to woman ironically gives Tomás his own loss to mourn: the feeling that his sister is slipping away.
In Autumn, Sequeira and his cast bravely confront the seasonality of life itself. The film is a poignant reminder that while childhood rituals fade and distance imposes change, the core of a family can remain. It suggests that the ties that bind us are not broken by change, but are instead re-forged through love, adaptability, and forgiveness. Be prepared for a film that will evoke a wealth of emotions and leave you genuinely choked up. Highly recommended.
"…will evoke a wealth of emotions..."
