Ernesto de Sousa’s only feature film represented a new cinematic experiment for Portugal, having been produced in cooperation with cinemagoers — an alternative mode of creation and production without the traditional figure of the producer. Dom Roberto follows the precarious life of João Barbelas (Raul Solnado), a homeless dreamer, and his companion Maria (Glicínia Quartin), who face the adversities of fate with optimism. The work, an experiment in Neorealism, was selected for Cannes Festival — where it was awarded two prizes — but the filmmaker was prevented from attending by the Portuguese secret police (PIDE), by whom he would later be imprisoned.