Portugal was ostensibly a Catholic fascist state during World War II, but wishing to avoid the chaos that was engulfing the rest of Europe, it declared itself neutral. As a result, Portugal became both a favored playground for Axis and Allies spies waging clandestine warfare, and also an essential exit portal for European refugees fleeing the advancing Nazi forces.
Portugal was in fact known as “Casablanca II,” and it is for these reasons Hollywood was actively encouraged by the US government to pump out the propaganda that would establish this small Iberian country as a safe exit point for refugees desperately fleeing war-torn Europe for the US.
The Milford Writing Institute, joining forces with film historian John DiLeo, is pleased to announce that it will bring all these interconnected historical facts visually and viscerally to life in Shadows & Spies: A Classic Film & Writing Retreat at the Palácio Estoril. Each evening participants will watch classic Hollywood films that were filmed in or inspired by Portugal, followed during the day by excursions directly related to what they just saw on the screen.
The MWI’s 2026 Fall Program at the fabled five-star Palácio Estoril Hotel—where guest Ian Fleming famously invented James Bond and some of the most spectacular cat-and-mouse spy feints of the war played out in its dimly-lit bar—is designed to shed light on this fascinating period of history by combining classic Hollywood films with relevant historical lectures, sightseeing, and cultural interludes. Those entertaining side events range from a special night of Lisbon fado (Portugal’s “blues”) to Michelin-starred lunch in a 17th century fort to a closing vesper-martini-and-baccarat night at the historically relevant Casino Estoril. The all-inclusive price for the MWI’s 2026 Fall Retreat is competitively priced at $6,100 per person single occupancy and $5,700 per person double occupancy.
As in all MWI programs, there is a writing component to this event, suitable for aspiring writers of all levels. Throughout the week, participants will record their film-and-culture impressions in light-hearted daily notetaking, which the MWI’s founder, Richard C. Morais, will collect and convert into an entertaining digital magazine distributed by various institutions in Portugal and abroad. All participants will receive a byline in the digital magazine Shadows & Spies: Classic Films and History in Portugal, but the writer exhibiting the most poetic flare and insight will be picked by DiLeo and Morais to win the inaugural 2026 Cascais & Estoril Classic-Film Writing Award.
The prize worth thousands of dollars—generously sponsored by the Cascais Visitors & Convention Center and the Palácio Estoril Hotel—includes among other things, at dates to be mutually determined, two round-trip airline tickets to Lisbon from the participant’s home country; two nights stay at the Palácio Estoril Hotel; and a sumptuous private dinner with Bernardo Corrêa de Barros, the president of the Cascais Visitors & Convention Center. If you are interested in participating in this unique event, click here for the details of the Shadows & Spies: A Classic Film & Writing Retreat at the Palácio Estoril.