The 1970s were a time of political terrorism, or “armed resistance,” as militant groups called it, in various European countries. Portugal followed, experiencing “years of lead,” as they were dubbed from 1980 until 1987. The political thriller Projecto Global, the new feature from writer-director Ivo M. Ferreira (Letters From War, Empire Hotel), world premiering on Sunday, Feb. 1 in the Big Screen Competition of the 55th edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), takes on this period in fictionalized form. The movie is set in Lisbon following the so-called Carnation Revolution in the country, which had brought freedom and democracy. But then, economic and social challenges shook Portugal and its political elite. “The Forças Populares 25 de Abril (FP-25), allegedly led by the inscrutable Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho, a key figure in the 1974 Carnation Revolution, waged a campaign in defense of what they saw as the revolution’s threatened achievements,” reads a synopsis for Projecto Global. “Their actions included bank robberies, targeted killings, and even the shelling of NATO vessels in Lisbon harbor.” Ferreira zooms …