Macau aparte

In 1999, the Portuguese colonial rulers handed over Macao to China. This occasion marked the end of the oldest European enclave in Asia. But the Portuguese influences and its extraordinary history preserve the special atmosphere on the peninsula, which has always stood in the shadow of Hong Kong. From 1553, the Portuguese ruled the territory on the southeast coast of mainland China. After the transfer to the People’s Republic of China, many Portuguese returned to Portugal, because they did not expect much from the new regime. Director Leonor Noivo made a film about these returning emigrants and the role their stay in Macao played in their lives. Why did they leave for Macao at the time and what are their memories of the place and period? And to what extent has their life changed in the meantime?