Best Portuguese romance movies

Land of Storms (1997)

Lena disappears mysteriously during the winter of 1976. This is the last stop on a journey that begins in colonial Mozambique on new year's eve at 1957 gives way to 1958. Ningo, a black boy brought up by Lena's parents, and her childhood friend, comes to Lisbon to help find her, at the request of Lena's mother. Using the letters that Lena has left behind as a testament to her life, in wich she has rebelled against the challenged the powers that be, Ningo discovers the identity of her kidnapper - Jorge Matos - a former secret policeman who has followed her from Lourenço Marques, motivated by morbid desire. Lena's kidnapper dies from two inexplicable snake bites to the neck, in accordance with a legend and ritual that had been part of Lena and Ningo's childhood.

Light Traps (1993)

Mário was involved in a terrorist attack in Africa. Everyone thinks it was an accident but Mário knows it wasn’t. Now, hiden in Alentejo, he knows that sooner or later " they" will find him, yet he does not want to flee with a new identity until he finds his lover Alice. "They" find him and he has to escape with the help of Matilde. A fascinating woman who will now give him shelter and pretends to help him find Alice. Time is running out for Mário and Alice.

Sunburn (2018)

A modern villa in the dry Portuguese summer landscape. The sun scorching bright high in the sky, four well-built bodies - three male, one female - hanging out by the pool, on the porch, in the bedrooms. All seem to be waiting for something, or as it soon turns out - someone. Scene by scene we are revealed the complex interpersonal relations and the most important, the relation of all the characters with the one who is being waited for. Who is that mythical person and what will happen when he finally arrives?

A River Through the Mountains (2018)

Just like a young man starting to love, a river has to find its way through the mountains.

As Pupilas do Senhor Reitor (1935)

Adaptation of the homonymous novel by Júlio Dantas. Trying to highlight the romantic tone, the ruralism of the picturesque situations and environments, the spirit and characters of 1863 are revived: the characteristic loves of Margarida and Clara, the distinguished morals of Pedro and Daniel, the bonhomie of João Semana, finally the disagreements , common sense, tenderness, rituals and landscape involvement of Minho.

Doomed Love (1979)

A story about doomed love between two people from different worlds and the impact in their lives.

O Sítio da Mulher Morta (2021)

He has everything that the destiny wanted and that he has been able to expand: fertile lands as far as the eye can see, cattle, exceptional wines and cigars matured in the long voyages of the boats coming directly from the Caribbean, more precisely from Cuba. He enjoys all this in his rich rural house, with his wife and two children, whom he very much likes, but which sometimes interrupt him to enjoy these pleasures. The disenchantment of the passionate routine always reminds him of the fabled memories of a moment in the past when, unexpectedly, he discovered in a handmaiden the surprising elevation of passion. Until the harlot appears to her at the Estate, untouched by the past fifteen years, purer than before and, even in her eyes, rejuvenated. But married, to a dangerous man.

Ala-Arriba! (1942)

It focuses on maritime tragedy of the town and a forbidden love between Julha and João Moço, from different fisher castes, in a community where mixed-caste marriages were not allowed and dating without parent's assent was seen as a disgrace to the family, not only in respect to women, but also men.

The First Summer (2015)

Isabel and Miguel meet for the first time in a driving lesson. They start hanging out and wind up spending the summer together. In autumn, he travels to visit his family, while she stays and takes care of his dog. When he returns the love for each other will be tested.

Doomed Love (1943)

The fatalism caught up and the amorous tragedy between Teresa de Albuquerque and Simão Botelho, who survives the intolerant litigation of her noble families.

Já Nada Sei (2022)

Ricardo and Ana are a thirty something couple, chosen to be the subject of a documentary about relationships. For 15 days the documentary team will record them, as well as their friends, family and colleagues, making a recap of their 18 years together. What nobody knows is that Ricardo wants to leave Ana, but hasn't had the courage to do so. The documentary forces him to face this reality and, in his search for answers, he involves three very close friends who share different views about their relationship and what he should do. With each conversation, he becomes even more confused.

What's New About Love? (2012)

Six friends meet every evening in a basement to make music. During the daytime, however, there are no rehearsals for what life brings us. Each endeavour leaves its mark. Rita left Ricardo, Rafael found her, but she still feels lost. Eduardo thought he no longer liked Maria, but after what he has done he cannot turn the clock back. João lacks the courage to breakup with his girlfriend and takes refuge in the song he is writing for Inês. Marco struggles to get another young man’s love, but he is under no illusions. Samuel believes in everlasting love but something is wrong because his friends haven’t heard from him for sometime. Inês, attempting to feel safe, likes to experiment and she's waiting to see how things go with João. With all this going on, how could the band not be falling apart...?

Land of My Dreams (2012)

Bianca and her mother meet again in Porto after many years. Together, they will hit the road with their stripping show, running after lost time, impossible love and strange fantasies.

Happy Birthday! (1997)

Chico wakes up on his 30th birthday to the sound of his girlfriend singing “Happy Birthday” to him on his answering machine. When João wakes up in bed next to him, he realizes that this is not his typical birthday.

4 Hearts (2009)

Diana is a young woman about to enter adulthood. She lives with her father, Gabriel, a game machine dealer, and Magdalene, the stepmother, alongside those working in a hair salon in a shopping center. One day, Diana discovers that Magdalene not only keeps a secret relationship with Michael, the security center and instructor in the gym of the neighborhood, as resumed his old habit of playing. Not to allow the stepmother to his father do the same as her mother had done to her, Diana decides to intervene, approaching the Magdalene lover.

Fatal Sin (2013)

A boy and a girl fall in love. But on the night they met, she was drunk and stoned and he took advantage of her. Although she does not remember almost anything from that night, she remembers something that may compromise their relationship.

Fátima (1997)

1917, a beautiful apparition of Our Lady forever alters the lives of three children: Lucinda, Jacita and Francisco who lived in Villa Fatima in Portugal.

Amor, Avenidas Novas (2018)

Manel is twenty years old, lives on Avenida Almirante Reis and idealizes love inspired by the relationship of his parents. Out of compassion, he hands over his double mattress to Nicolau and his girlfriend, who returned to Lisbon. Manel is alone with the mattress that he exchanged with his friends and on his way back home when he invades a film set, with a team entirely composed by girls. One of them, Rita, a beautiful production intern who helps with the mattress.

True and Tender is the North (2008)

Adaptation of a 1987 novel by Agustina Bessa Luis, a multi-generation exploration of a wealthy family with a mysterious past and a house on the island of Madeira.

Love Love (2017)

Marta and Jorge have been a couple for seven years. All their friends think they are living a perfect romance. Too perfect, perhaps, for the despair of all: Bruno, who is much younger than Marta but madly in love with her; Lígia, who is Bruno's sister and Marta's best friend and would love to see her brother happy; Carlos, Jorge's friend, who maintains a superficial romance with Lígia while secretly in love with Marta; and for Jorge himself, who is afraid this idyllic romance will imprison him and, convinced that his love and his lover's desire to marry will take away his freedom, decides to show her the way into Carlos arms.

Maria of the Sea (1930)

Falacha is the captain of a fishing boat, who loses his men in a shipwreck. Among them was the husband of Aurélia, who holds Falacha responsible for the tragedy. Maria, Falacha's daughter, falls in love with Manuel, Aurélia's son, a situation that their mothers refuse to accept.

O Mundo Dos Anjos (2020)

After a car accident, a young man travels to the world of angels, where he will know something he never imagined, he did not believe, until the moment he saw her.

Maria Papoila (1937)

Song of Love and Health (2009)

João is an indolent young man, whose life is desperately empty. Day after day he goes through the motions of duplicating keys in his tiny shop concealed in the basement of an obsolete nearly deserted shopping center. Some day, he hopes, the lady of his heart will come and order the key that will unlock his heart. Against all expectation, the miracle happens...

Sinais de Fogo (1995)

The film presents us with a reflection on the Spanish Civil War in the Portuguese society, At a time when Salazar ruled.

Sweet Nightmare (1998)

A dream girl can cause a lot of insomnia. That's what happens to Daniel Bricks, a young british engineer, working temporarily at the construction works of the 25th of April bridge, in Lisbon, Portugal. At the request of a friend, Daniel heads down south to make an inspection on a water dam. That's where he finds Carolina, the woman of his dreams. What he doesn't know is that she just got out of jail a few hours back, and that she will turn his life into a real nightmare. A romance comedy, where the nightmares are sweeter than dreams.

Ein Sommer in Portugal (2013)

The Christmas Eve (2021)

A flight to Lisboa is diverted to Beja due to a snowstorm, forcing several passengers to spend Christmas Eve away from their families.

Venus Velvet (2002)

When almost everyone in their senses (or in their powers to do so so) has left a Western European Capital of millions of people under the threat of a colliding commet, a bar stays open in defyance. Two lovers are too self absorbed but not so much so that between drinks they cannot realise the barmen's infatuation with the lost girl who thinks she's just his last plaything and keeps playing jukebox songs (American/French-Italian/American) to that effect.

Ribatejo (1949)

It is the story of two men in love with the same woman and fighting each other in and out of the arenas of bulls.