In Latin, campo ("field") is the flat terrain where animals are bred and soldiers trained, the arena where life and death are decided. Tiago Hespanha explores this semantic tension in an essay shot on the Alcochete firing range, one of the largest military bases in Europe, just outside Lisbon. Ironically drawing from myths constructed by humankind to justify its superiority over the animal world, the director contrasts bizarre army drills with bucolic vignettes. While recruits play at war with state-of-the-art weaponry, a biologist listens to birds, a herder breeds sheep and wildlife lurks in the dark. The sound of gunfire inspires a young piano player, and mechanical bees will soon replace their natural counterparts for both pollination and military operations. This philosophical tale of hubris casts an acute gaze on the ephemerality and arrogance of certain human activities. Charlotte Selb