Portugal (1957)

The picture opens with animation showing the adventurous and courageous Portuguese explorations and the routes they travelled. Then live action shows them fishing on their ships of uncommon style. Ships must be launched directly into the surf since on all of Portugal's long seacoast there are few natural harbors. Thay also go to the mountains in ships. Vessels called "rebelos" carry cargos of empty casks to the upper valley of the Rio Douro to be filled with authentic port wine. We see the harvesting of the grapes. Inside the winery the wine is poured into the casks then returned down the hazardous river. We see the cork industry, the bullfighting on horseback, the driving of the bulls in a gala procession through the countryside of the "Carrida" in the cities. On their way to the arena, some bulls are diverted into side streets for the amusements of the residents, and bedlam is created right up to the entrance of the arena. Finally, we see the performance of the caballeros, the matador, and the fercados. The Portuguese blend together play and hard work.