
JustaftertheSecondWorldWar,5,000youngchildrenweresentfromAustriatostaywithhostfamiliesinPortugal,wheretheycouldrecoverfromtheviolenceofwar.Theywereoftenwelcomedinbywell-to-dofamilieswithdomesticstafflivinginsunnyvillas,andformostofthechildrenthiswasaholidayinparadise.Thecontrastwiththeirlivingconditionsathome,andthehugedifferencebetweenthelivesofrichandpoorinPortugalinthisperiod,madeadeepimpressionontheyoungAustrians.<br/> FilmmakersSusanadeSousaDiasandAnsgarSchaeferassembledahugequantityofimagesfromthistime,incountlessphotoalbumsandarchives.Carefullycomposedsoundeffectsenhancetheimmersiveatmosphereofthislittle-knownstory,whileoff-screentheformer“guestchildren”recallthisextraordinary,sometimesdeliriouslyhappyperiodthatwasalsoconfusingforallconcerned—hostsandguestsalike.Afterabouttenmonths,theywereshippedbacktoAustria—withlabelshangingfromtheirneckslikepostalpackages.