Music inspires the rich emotional range and unusual structure of Gomes’ second feature and its intricate mosaic portrait of the late summer concerts and celebrations that unite the remote Portuguese town of Argantil. Playfully interweaving multiple documentary strands—including one featuring Gomes himself struggling with his producer and crew—Our Beloved Month of August only eventually discovers the extended family band that takes center stage in the second half of the film and whose secret desires and fears are channeled deep into their musical performances. Gomes’ fascination with the music and landscape of Northern Portugal gives way to a mode of cinematic regionalism that insists on the deep-rootedness of its stories within the local customs and culture.