Oliveira's delightful new film proposes and attempts to solve a historical mystery – was Christopher Columbus actually Portuguese? Oliveira offers a typically multifaceted approach to this puzzle, interweaving the story of Manuel Luciano da Silva, a medical doctor and autodidact historian obsessed with Columbus, with visits to historical sites by Oliveira himself and his wife. Christopher Columbus offers a playful return to the subjects of empire, myth and history so dear to Oliveira.