At the first rays of dawn, light passes through the narrow corridors and illuminates the funerary chamber – a moment of carefully calculated light and shadow. For these Neolithic societies, it likely symbolized a new beginning.
Each stone, every object unearthed, every trace studied helped reconstruct the monument and reveal the true significance of this sacred place.
During the restoration works, something extraordinary is uncovered. As the standing stones are moved, archaeologists and conservators discover traces of ancient paintings on two of them.
Today, we gaze upon these paintings with fascination. They are the last visible link between our time and the beliefs of the ancient builders of Lamas.
A legacy left in stone…
The Mamoa de Lamas rises imposingly in the valley—a silent testimony to a Neolithic community whose innovations and way of life shaped the destiny of this land, leaving behind a legacy that still echoes through time.
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Director Biography – Raul Losada
Raul Losada was born in Cascais in 1971. He graduated in television with a specialisation as an image reporter from the Escola Técnica de Imagem e Comunicação in 1996.
Throughout his professional career in television he has received several awards and honourable mentions for his work in the field of news reporting.
In 2014 he began his career in the field of producing and directing historical documentaries.
In 2016 he released his first documentary “Roman anchorage in Olisipo, the port of Lisbon in Roman times”, which was shown in several cinemas and museums. The documentary was available on the VideoClub platforms of NOS, Vodafone, Meo and Cabovisão and in the selection of films on board TAP Air Portugal. It was broadcast on Sic Noticias and Sic Internacional.
In 2019 it began collaborating with the company Era Arqueologia to produce a series of 1-minute episodes on history, archaeology, anthropology and conservation and restoration, having already produced more than 200 episodes on a weekly basis.
The most recent documentary “Echoes of the City of the Dead” has already received 17 nominations for the official selection of international festivals, 7 awards in the categories of “Best Documentary” “Best Historical Documentary” “Best Educational Film” “Best Production” and 4 Honourable Mentions for “Best Documentary”.
The documentary has been screened in Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Switzerland, Poland, Croatia, Greece, Malta, India, Japan, Brazil and the United States in the official selection of film festivals.
Director Statement
“Mamoa de Lamas, um segredo ancestral” is more than a documentary—it is a quiet journey into the heart of time itself.
From the very beginning, I was captivated by the silent power of the Mamoa de Lamas. Standing in its shadow, I felt the weight of millennia, the whispers of a community long gone but never truly silent.
This film was born out of a desire to reconnect with the deep roots of human experience—to explore how light, stone, and ritual once came together to shape meaning and memory.
As we uncovered ancient paintings hidden for thousands of years, I realized we weren’t just documenting history—we were witnessing a message sent across time.
My intention was to let the monument speak, to give voice to a people who left no written word but carved their beliefs into the very landscape. Through careful cinematography, sound, and narrative, we sought to honor the mystery and mastery of those early builders and the legacy they etched into stone.
In an age where we move so fast, this film invites us to slow down—to look, to wonder, and to remember.
| Raul Losada Director, Writer |
