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Walter Salles

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In thisPortuguese name,"Júnior"is agenerational suffixused for someone whose name is the same as their father, like "Jr." in English.

Walter Salles
Salles at theToronto International Film Festivalin 2012
Born
Walter Moreira Salles Júnior

(1956-04-12)12 April 1956(age 68)
Rio de Janeiro,Brazil
Alma mater
Occupation(s)Film director, producer, editor
Spouse
Maria Klabin
​
​
(m.2004;div.2021)​
Children2
Parent
RelativesJoão Moreira Salles(brother)
Pedro Moreira Salles(brother)

Walter Moreira Salles Júnior(/ˈsɑːlɪs/;[1]born 12 April 1956) is a Brazilian filmmaker, most known for hisGolden Bearwinning filmCentral Station.

Early life[edit]

Salles was born on 12 April 1956 in Rio de Janeiro and attended theUniversity of Southern CaliforniaSchool of Cinematic Arts.[2]He is the son of Brazilian banker, politician and philanthropistWalter Moreira Salles.

Career[edit]

Salles's first notable film wasTerra Estrangeira(Foreign Land), released in Brazil in 1995. Locally, it was widely acclaimed by film critics and a minor box-office hit, and it was selected by over 40 film festivals worldwide.

In 1998, he releasedCentral Stationto widespread international acclaim and twoAcademy Awardsnominations, for Best Actress in a Leading Role and Best Foreign Language Film. Salles won aGolden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film,becoming the first Brazilian to win a Golden Globe.

In 2001,Abril Despedaçado(Behind the Sun), based on a novel by Albanian authorIsmail Kadareand starringRodrigo Santoro,was nominated for the Best Foreign FilmGolden Globes.[3]Salles said: ".. there was one book that resonated to the point where I couldn't forget it. And that wasBroken Aprilby Ismail Kadare. The book was handed to me by my younger brother, who said, 'If I know you well, this will touch you.'... What really struck me was the opposition between the atavistic violence described in the book and the possibility for that violence to be overpowered by the discovery of poetry and literature and ultimately by brotherly love. "[4]

Both films were produced by veteranArthur Cohn,and had worldwide distribution.

In 2003, Salles was voted one of the 40 Best Directors in the World byThe Guardian.[5]His biggest international success has beenDiarios de Motocicleta(The Motorcycle Diaries), a 2004 film about the life of youngErnesto Guevara,who later became known as Che Guevara. It was Salles's first foray as director of a film in a language other than his nativePortuguese(Spanish,in this case) and quickly became a box-office hit in Latin America and Europe.

Salles in 2005

In 2005, Salles released his firstHollywoodfilm,Dark Water,an adaptation of the 2002Japanese film of the same name.He also helped to produce the Argentine pictureHermanas,which was a major success.

In 2006, Salles wrote and directed a segment in the French filmParis, je t'aime(FrenchforParis, I love you) withDaniela Thomas.The film is a collection of 18 shorter segments made by different 21 directors and set in differentarrondissementsof Paris. Salles' segment calledLoin du 16e(literally:Far from the 16th) and took place in the16th arrondissement of Paris.

In 2007, Salles took part in a similar project calledTo Each His Own Cinema(French:Chacun son cinéma) in the 60th anniversary of theCannes Film Festival.He made a three-minute segment calledA 8 944 km de Cannes(English:5,557 Miles From Cannes).

In 2008, Salles wrote and directed the filmLinha de Passealso with Daniela Thomas.[6]It is a story about four brothers from a poor family who need to fight to follow their dreams. He was nominated for theGolden PalmandSandra Corveloniwon the Best Actress award for her role in this film inCannes Film Festivalin 2008.

In 2009, Salles signed a petition in support of film directorRoman Polanski,calling for his release after Polanski was arrested in Switzerland in relation to his1977 chargefor drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl.[7]

In 2012, Salles releasedJosé Rivera'sscreenplay adaptation ofJack Kerouac'sOn the Road,withFrancis Ford Coppolaproducing. The film was nominated for thePalme d'Orat the2012 Cannes Film Festival.[8][9]

In 2023, ten years after his last feature film, Salles started production ofI'm Still Here(Ainda Estou Aqui), based on the book of the same name byMarcelo Rubens Paiva;the film tackles the arrest and disappearance ofRubens Paivain 1971, Marcelo's father, during themilitary dictatorship in Brazil.[10][11]

Political views[edit]

In December 2023, alongside 50 other filmmakers, Salles signed an open letter published inLibérationdemanding a ceasefire and an end to the killing of civilians amid the2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip,and for a humanitarian corridor into Gaza to be established for humanitarian aid, and the release of hostages.[12][13][14]

Filmography[edit]

Feature Films[edit]

Year English Title Original Title Language(s) Notes
1991 A Grande Arte Portuguese,English, Spanish
1995 Foreign Land Terra Estrangeira Portuguese Co-directed withDaniela Thomas.
1998 Central Station Central do Brasil Portuguese Golden Bearwinner
Midnight O Primeiro Dia Portuguese Co-directed withDaniela Thomas.
2001 Behind the Sun Abril Despedaçado Portuguese
2004 The Motorcycle Diaries Diarios de Motocicleta Spanish,Quechua,Mapudungun
2005 Dark Water English
2008 Linha de Passe Portuguese Co-directed withDaniela Thomas.
2012 On the Road English, French
2024 I'm Still Here Ainda Estou Aqui Portuguese Post-Production

Documentaries and Short Films[edit]

Indicates a documentary Indicates a short film
Year Title Language(s) Notes
1986 Japão: Uma Viagem No Tempo Portuguese TV documentary series. Four episodes.
1987 Krajcberg: O Poeta Dos Vestígios Portuguese Documentary onFrans Krajcberg.
1988 Marisa Monte Portuguese Co-directed withNelson Motta.Documentary and concert film onMarisa Monte.
1989 Chico, ou O País Da Delicadeza Perdida Portuguese Co-directed withNelson Motta.Medium-length documentary onChico Buarque.
1995 Un Siécle d'Écrivains French TV documentary series. One episode.
1995 Antônio Carlos Jobim: An All-Star Tribute Portuguese, English Last recorded performance ofAntônio Carlos Jobim.
1995 Life Somewhere Else Portuguese
1999 Somos Todos Filhos Da Terra Portuguese Co-directed withKátia Lund,João Moreira SallesandDaniela Thomas.Short documentary onAdão Dãxalebaradã.
2002 Castanha E Caju Contra O Encouraçado Titanic Portuguese Co-directed withDaniela Thomasand George Moura.
2003 Guns and Peace None
2006 Loin du 16e French, English, Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic Co-directed withDaniela Thomas.Segment ofParis, je t'aime(2006).
2007 5,557 Miles From Cannes Mandarin, English, French, Spanish, Danish, Finnish, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Yiddish, Arabic Segment ofTo Each His Own Cinema(2007).
2010 In Search of the World Portuguese Cinematic essay during the adaptation process ofJack Kerouac'sOn the Road.
2013 Venice 70: Future Reloaded‡ English Segment director.
2016 Jia Zhang-ke by Walter Salles Mandarin Documentary onJia Zhangke.
2017 When the Earth Trembles Portuguese, Russian, Hindi, English, Chinese Segment ofWhere Has the Time Gone?(2017).

Awards and nominations[edit]

Main article:List of awards and nominations received by Walter Salles

In July 2022 Salles was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of letters by theUniversity of Reading.[15]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Say How: S".National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.Retrieved19 October2018.
  2. ^"USC Cinematic Arts – Notable Alumni".Cinema.usc.edu.Retrieved27 January2018.
  3. ^Rohter, Larry (6 March 2001)."ARTS ABROAD; Brazilians Love Their Wild West (in the Northeast)".The New York Times.
  4. ^Kehr, Dave (21 December 2001)."AT THE MOVIES".The New York Times.
  5. ^Bradshaw, Peter; Brooks, Xan; Haskell, Molly; Malcolm, Derek; Pulver, Andrew; Rich, B Ruby; Rose, Steve (14 November 2003)."The world's 40 best directors".The Guardian.Retrieved10 January2020.
  6. ^"Linha de Passe".IMDb.com.5 September 2008.Retrieved27 January2018.
  7. ^Shoard, Catherine; agencies (29 September 2009)."Release Polanski, demands petition by film industry luminaries".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on 8 January 2018.Retrieved29 August2021.
  8. ^"2012 Official Selection".Festival-cannes.fr.2012. Archived fromthe originalon 2 December 2012.Retrieved27 January2018.
  9. ^"Cannes Film Festival 2012 line-up announced".Timeout.com.2012. Archived fromthe originalon 20 December 2012.Retrieved27 January2018.
  10. ^Amando, Rodrigo (18 June 2023)."Começam as filmagens do longa" Ainda Estou Aqui ", dirigido por Walter Salles".Site RG – Moda, Estilo, Festa, Beleza e mais(in Brazilian Portuguese).Retrieved10 April2024.
  11. ^Wiseman, Andreas (28 May 2024)."Walter Salles' Directorial Comeback 'I'm Still Here' Sells To Sony Classics For North America & Raft Of International Territories Out Of Cannes Market".Deadline Hollywood.Retrieved28 May2024.
  12. ^"Gaza: des cinéastes du monde entier demandent un cessez-le-feu immédiat".Libération(in French). 28 December 2023.Retrieved24 January2024.
  13. ^Newman, Nick (29 December 2023)."Claire Denis, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Christian Petzold, Apichatpong Weerasethakul & More Sign Demand for Ceasefire in Gaza".The Film Stage.Retrieved24 January2024.
  14. ^"Directors of cinema sign petition for immediate ceasefire".The Jerusalem Post.31 December 2023.Retrieved24 January2024.
  15. ^"Director Walter Salles gets Honorary degree from Reading".6 July 2022.Retrieved23 July2022.

External links[edit]

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