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I Only Rest in the Storm

Play trailer Poster for I Only Rest in the Storm 2025 3h 31m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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81% Tomatometer 21 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Sérgio travels to a metropolis in West Africa to work for an NGO as an environmental engineer on a road project between the desert and the jungle. There, he becomes entangled in an intimate yet unbalanced relationship with two inhabitants of the city, Diara and Gui. As the neo-colonial dynamics among the expatriate community unravel, this fragile bond becomes his only refuge from an impending collapse into solitude or barbarism.

Critics Reviews

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Diego Semerene Slant Magazine Aug 29, 2025
1.5/4
In the film, pedagogy even has to share space with the carnal frisson of the dance floor. Go to Full Review Murtada Elfadl Variety May 28, 2025
“I Only Rest in the Storm” is the kind of film that thrives in a rarefied cinematic environment like Cannes, offering so many talking points that audiences exit the film wanting to argue about it with each other. Go to Full Review Miriam Balanescu IndieWire May 18, 2025
A-
Overall, the big swings this wending odyssey takes in merging genres and weighty ideas do pay off -- it’s a gargantuan, continent-crossing feat. Go to Full Review Luis Martínez El Mundo (Spain) Apr 24, 2026
4/5
Pedro Pinho crafts an odyssey-like film of three and a half hours that functions as an exceptional, feverish, and somnambulistic political and poetic manifesto. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Elsa Fernández-Santos El Pais (Spain) Apr 24, 2026
...this overflowing and ambitious journey into postcolonial conflicts and contradictions mixes genres and perspectives...to put on the table the condescending and paternalistic guilt of the European gaze towards Africa. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Jason Shawhan Nashville Scene Dec 5, 2025
I Only Rest in the Storm is a perceptive docufiction that balances its discourse and its densely erotic vibe in a way that feels both alluring and brutal. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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MB C @MB.Cinema Jun 27, 2026 Sergio, a Portuguese engineer in Guinea-Bissau, drawn into complex cultural and political tensions. The film tackles themes of neo-colonialism, identity, and power with clear intellectual intent. Despite its strong ideas and striking cinematography, it often feels more like a lecture than a story. A passive protagonist and slow pacing make it difficult to stay emotionally engaged. While thought-provoking, its length and heavy style may test viewers’ patience more than reward it. See more Read all reviews
I Only Rest in the Storm

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Pedro Pinho

Director

Sérgio Coragem

Sérgio

Cleo Diára

Diara

Jonathan Guilherme

Gui

João Santos Lopes

Actor

Hermínio Amaro

Actor
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I Only Rest in the Storm

I Only Rest In The Storm (2025) I Only Rest In The Storm (2025) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Sérgio travels to a metropolis in West Africa to work for an NGO as an environmental engineer on a road project between the desert and the jungle. There, he becomes entangled in an intimate yet unbalanced relationship with two inhabitants of the city, Diara and Gui. As the neo-colonial dynamics among the expatriate community unravel, this fragile bond becomes his only refuge from an impending collapse into solitude or barbarism.
Director
Pedro Pinho
Producer
Tiago Hespanha, Pedro Pinho, Filipa Reis
Screenwriter
Pedro Pinho, Miguel Seabra Lopes, José Filipe Costa, Luísa Homem, Marta Lança, Miguel Carmo, Tiago Hespanha, Leonor Noivo, Luís Miguel Correia, Paul Choquet
Production Co
Terratreme Filmes, Bubbles Project, Still Moving, Uma Pedra no Sapato, deFilm
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Portuguese
Runtime
3h 31m
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