The story is based on Varela's actual experiences, as she did actually come to Lisbon three days after her estranged husband's death.[1] The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw praised her performance as displaying "a massively imperturbable dignity and limpid gaze."[2] Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal writes that "Varela’s face is as expressive as a silent-film star."[6] Varela received the Best Actress award at the Locarno Film Festival, while the film received the Golden Leopard prize for the best movie.[7]