Eucalyptus
After her mother's mysterious disappearance, a criminology student returns to rural Portugal. Secrets lie buried beneath the ashes. Inès must uncover the truth.
When Ines, a young woman from the city, returns to the remote hills of Portugal, she is overwhelmed with grief. Her mother has disappeared, and she contemplates the possibility that she might be dead, a victim of the flames. But Ines quickly senses that something isn’t right. She turns to her father, an adventurous outdoorsman living off the grid. He blames the paper industry for the disaster and vows to fight for justice. For Ines, this loss echoes past traumas. Her goal is to help her father heal by supporting his pursuit of justice and to find her own place within the fractured family history. But she soon realises her father also harbours secrets.
The story revolves around the fault line between father and daughter. At first, Ines regards him as a hero and an ally in the fight against the industry. But cracks appear. His charisma and strength hide a bitter truth: he loved his wife deeply, yet ultimately agreed to her wish for a self-chosen death, following her mental breakdown triggered by a spiritual ritual. He carries this as both an act of love and betrayal.
His greatest fear is that Ines will uncover the truth and see him not as a loving husband, but as a traitor.
The story unfolds as a six-part miniseries:
1. Homecoming
Ines returns to Portugal, supports her father in his fight against the paper industry, but senses the first cracks in his story.
2. The Fight
Together they confront the industry; Ines meets the community and witnesses divided loyalties.
3. Shadows
Memories and other voices reveal a darker, more complex portrait of her stepmother.
4. Secrets
Alma, Manuel, and the inspector reveal fragments of truth; Ines begins to realise her father is hiding something.
5. Confrontation
Ines discovers her father consented to the mother’s self- chosen death; love and betrayal are intertwined.
6. Grief and Truth
The industry proves untouchable; the mother’s death is revealed as a web of human weakness and desire. Ines must confront her father – and her own grief – knowing the truth will never be completely pure.
Lieven Van Baelen is an award-winning director and cinematographer working across feature films, short films, and select commercial projects.
With a background in colour grading, his work is defined by a precise visual language and a strong sensitivity to emotion and light.
Julien Paschal is an award-winning Belgian actor, musician, and sound designer.
Trained in Barcelona, he performs with restraint, rhythm, and profound emotional clarity. His screen work includes Berlin (Netflix) and Alejandro Amenábar’s The Captive.