In Serpa's mountains, Baixo Alentejo, a community tries to follow the rhythm of nature and to survive through the habits established over the centuries by the preceding generations. The relationship between humans and nature has its ups and downs, such as the harvests, for example, which guarantee the human survival, and the frequent severe droughts, a serious problem in this region of the country. Within an extreme interdependence dynamics, it is very difficult to strike a balance. Apart from working the land, these people also inherited forms of artistic expression, which persist in the voice of popular poets who perpetuate the legacy of their ancestors and make the present alive. “Fortunes” (“sortes”) has this double meaning, referring to the fate of these people and the form of organization of the lands. After “The Ashes Remain Warm”, filmed on the Cape Verde island of Fogo following the last eruption, this is the second short film by Mónica Martins Nunes, a young visual artist who makes her debut at Curtas. (PC)