A group of women from different generations of the same family live in a family-run hotel by the Portuguese northern shore. Their relationships with each other have grown poisoned by bitterness. They try to survive in the declining hotel, as the unexpected arrival of a granddaughter to this oppressive space stirs trouble, reviving hatred and piled-up resentments.

Drawing inspiration from the plays of Strindberg and the films of Jacques Rivette, Joao Canijo’s Mal Viver along with its pair Viver Mal, form one of the most fascinating and ambitious cinematic projects in recent memory.