Plot Summary

A Talking Picture centers on Rosa Maria, a young Portuguese history teacher portrayed by Leonor Silveira, who embarks on a sea voyage with her endlessly curious daughter Maria Joana (Filipa de Almeida). Their destination is India—specifically Bombay, where Rosa Maria’s husband awaits them. The journey consciously retraces the maritime routes once taken by Portugal’s great explorers, transforming travel into an act of historical reflection.

Departing from the port of Lisbon, their ship calls at Marseille, Pompeii, Athens, Istanbul, Port Said, and Aden. At every stop, Rosa Maria turns the voyage into a living classroom, explaining the significance of each place to her daughter and guiding her through a condensed history of Mediterranean civilizations and the foundations of Western culture.

Along the way, mother and daughter encounter fellow passengers who generously share their knowledge and perspectives. At successive ports, a series of intriguing women board the ship—a French businesswoman, an Italian former model, and a Greek actress and teacher—each contributing thoughtful observations about life, identity, and the contemporary world. Their conversations unfold as philosophical exchanges shaped by history, culture, and personal experience.

As the ship moves toward the Persian Gulf, the reflective calm of the journey is shattered by an unexpected and unsettling threat. This sudden disruption places both the vessel and its passengers in grave danger, transforming the voyage from an intellectual and cultural passage into a tense confrontation with mortality, fate, and the fragility of civilization itself.