"Essay on the Military and the Power", a phrase that also belongs to the title of "Gestures & Fragments", sums up the spirit of the film, based on three points of view on the same theme: Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho and Eduardo Lourenço, in their own roles, and the one played by Robert Kramer, as an American journalist bent on seeking explanations for the process of the Portuguese Revolution.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
 Otelo Saraiva de CarvalhoHimself | Himself |
 Robert KramerAmerican journalist | American journalist |
| EEduardo LourençoHimself | Himself |
| JJoaquim FurtadoNarrator (voice) | Narrator (voice) |
| EErika KramerErica Asher (woman who wrote a letter) | Erica Asher (woman who wrote a letter) |
 Jorge Silva MeloAmerican journalist (voice) | American journalist (voice) |
 Zita DuarteWoman on a river boat (voice) | Woman on a river boat (voice) |
 Luís Miguel CintraArmando (voice) | Armando (voice) |
| JJaime Silvério MarquesHimself | Himself |