What can you do when you know that death is approaching? Joaquim Pinto contracted HIV and hepatitis C twenty years ago. In this film-diary which he directed he reveals his innermost thoughts as he lines up one difficult day with another, powerless to do anything about his debilitating afflictions. And yet, his documentary is less about the philosophical implications of life and death as it is, more simply, about how to live with a deadly illness.

After a full disclosure of his illness and the implications of it Pinto alternates the retelling of his life by speaking directly into the camera and through voiceovers. We watch as he and his partner Nuno share a few moments of joy on their farm with their four dogs, or during more intimate moments with his partner. The mundane and repetitive nature of Pinto’s life adds a kind of serenity to this otherwise morose slice-of-life documentary. He’s accepted his fate and invites us to simply walk alongside him for a while and to listen.

In Pinto we discover a thoughtful man with a predisposition to over-disclosing who finds meaning in the smallest details. In his search for answers all that he finds is a fog filled with anomalies and unpredictability. In the end it isn’t clear whether Pinto intended to shoot a personal documentary about this slow-burning crucible or was simply drafting his last will and testament.