Walter Salles
Encyclopedia
Walter Moreira Salles, Jr. (born April 12, 1956) is a Brazil
ian filmmaker and film producer
of international prominence.
, a Brazilian banker and ambassador
, and the brother of João Moreira Salles
, also a filmmaker. Both, along with two other brothers, are heirs to the bank Unibanco
, one of the largest and richest in South America. Salles attended the University of Southern California
School of Cinematic Arts
.
Salles's first notable film was Terra 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 released Central do Brasil
(Central Station) to widespread international acclaim and two Academy Awards
nominations, for Best Actress in a Leading Role and Best Foreign Language Film. In 2001, Abril Despedaçado (Behind the Sun), starring Rodrigo Santoro
, was nominated for the Best Foreign Film Golden Globes. Both films were produced by veteran Arthur Cohn
and had worldwide distribution.
In 2003, Salles was voted one of the 40 Best Directors in the World by The Guardian
. His biggest international success has been Diarios de Motocicleta
(The Motorcycle Diaries), a 2004 film about the life of young Ernesto 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 native Portuguese
(Spanish
, in this case) and quickly became a box-office hit in Latin America and Europe.
In 2005, Salles released his first English-language
feature film, which is also his first Hollywood film, Dark Water
, an adaptation of the 2002 Japanese film of the same name. He also helped to produce the Argentine picture Hermanas
which was a major success.
In 2006, Salles wrote and directed a segment in the French film Paris, je t'aime
(French
for "Paris, I love you") with Daniela Thomas
. The film is a collection of 18 shorter segments made by different 21 directors and set in different arrondissements of Paris. Salles' segment called "Loin du 16e" (literally: "far from the 16th") and took place in the 16th arrondissement of Paris.
In 2007, Salles took part in a similar project called To Each His Own Cinema
(French: Chacun son cinéma) in the 60th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival
. He made a 3 minute segment called "A 8 944 km de Cannes" (English: 5,557 Miles From Cannes).
In 2008, Salles wrote and directed the film Linha de Passe
also with Daniela Thomas
. It is a story about four brothers from a poor family who need to fight to follow their dreams. He was nominated for the Golden Palm and Sandra Corveloni
won the best actress award for her role in this film in Cannes Film Festival
in 2008.
Salles is presently directing José Rivera's
screenplay adaptation of Jack Kerouac
's On the Road
, with Francis Ford Coppola
and Gus Van Sant
producing. The film is supposed to be released in 2011.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian filmmaker and film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
of international prominence.
Life and career
Salles was born in Rio de Janeiro. He is the son of Elizinha Goncalves and Walter Moreira SallesWalter Moreira Salles
Walter Moreira Salles was a highly successful Brazilian banker, politician and philanthropist who is considered by many as one of the premier founders of the modern Brazilian financial and banking industry....
, a Brazilian banker and ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
, and the brother of João Moreira Salles
João Moreira Salles
João Moreira Salles is a Brazilian documentarian and president of the Instituto Moreira Salles. In 2006, he founded the magazine piauí. He has also taught courses on documentary at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro and Princeton University...
, also a filmmaker. Both, along with two other brothers, are heirs to the bank Unibanco
Unibanco
Unibanco stands for União de Bancos Brasileiros . The bank was born in 1924 in Poços de Caldas in the state of Minas Gerais. In time its headquarters moved to São Paulo, Brazil's financial center...
, one of the largest and richest in South America. Salles attended the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
School of Cinematic Arts
USC School of Cinematic Arts
The USC School of Cinematic Arts, until 2006 named the School of Cinema-Television , is a film school within the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. It is the oldest and largest such school in the United States, established in 1929 as a joint venture with the Academy of...
.
Salles's first notable film was Terra 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 released Central do Brasil
Central do Brasil (film)
Central Station is a 1998 Brazilian/French drama film set in Brazil. It tells the story of a young boy's friendship with a jaded middle-aged woman. The film was adapted by Marcos Bernstein and João Emanuel Carneiro from a story by Walter Salles and it was directed by the latter. It features...
(Central Station) to widespread international acclaim and two Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
nominations, for Best Actress in a Leading Role and Best Foreign Language Film. In 2001, Abril Despedaçado (Behind the Sun), starring Rodrigo Santoro
Rodrigo Santoro
Rodrigo Junqueira dos Reis Santoro is a Brazilian actor.-Life and career:Santoro was born in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro. He is of half Brazilian and half Italian descent. In 1993, as Santoro was studying Journalism at PUC-Rio, he entered the Actor's Workshop of Rede Globo...
, was nominated for the Best Foreign Film Golden Globes. Both films were produced by veteran Arthur Cohn
Arthur Cohn
Arthur Cohn is a film producer.Six of his films have won the Academy Award for Best Documentary, and he was awarded the Guardian of Zion Award in 2004...
and had worldwide distribution.
In 2003, Salles was voted one of the 40 Best Directors in the World by The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
. His biggest international success has been Diarios de Motocicleta
The Motorcycle Diaries (film)
At the end of the film, after his sojourn at the leper colony, Guevara confirms his nascent egalitarian, anti-authority impulses, while making a birthday toast, which is also his first political speech. In it he evokes a pan-Latin American identity that transcends both the arbitrary boundaries of...
(The Motorcycle Diaries), a 2004 film about the life of young Ernesto 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 native Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
(Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, in this case) and quickly became a box-office hit in Latin America and Europe.
In 2005, Salles released his first English-language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
feature film, which is also his first Hollywood film, Dark Water
Dark Water (2005 film)
Dark Water is a 2005 American horror-thriller film directed by Walter Salles, starring Jennifer Connelly and Tim Roth. The film is a remake of the 2002 Japanese film of the same name, and also stars John C. Reilly, Pete Postlethwaite, Perla Haney-Jardine and Ariel Gade...
, an adaptation of the 2002 Japanese film of the same name. He also helped to produce the Argentine picture Hermanas
Hermanas
Hermanas is a 2005 Argentine, Brazilian and Spanish drama film written and directed by Julia Solomonoff, her first feature motion picture. The picture has a number of producers, including: Mariela Besuievski, Pablo Bossi, Florencia Enghel, Gerardo Herrero, Vanessa Ragone, Walter Salles, and Ariel...
which was a major success.
In 2006, Salles wrote and directed a segment in the French film Paris, je t'aime
Paris, je t'aime
Paris, Je t'aime is a 2006 anthology film starring an ensemble cast of actors of various nationalities. The two-hour film consists of eighteen short films set in different arrondissements...
(French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
for "Paris, I love you") with Daniela Thomas
Daniela Thomas
Daniela Thomas is a Brazilian film director, screenwriter and editor.-Biography:Thomas, whose birthname is Daniela Gontijo Alves Pinto, is the daughter of the famous cartoonist Ziraldo Alves Pinto and the sister of Golden Globe Award-nominated film score composer Antonio Pinto.In 1994 she...
. The film is a collection of 18 shorter segments made by different 21 directors and set in different arrondissements of Paris. Salles' segment called "Loin du 16e" (literally: "far from the 16th") and took place in the 16th arrondissement of Paris.
In 2007, Salles took part in a similar project called To Each His Own Cinema
To Each His Own Cinema
To Each His Own Cinema is a 2007 French anthology film commissioned for the 60th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival. The film is a collection of 34 short films, each 3 minutes in length, by 36 acclaimed directors...
(French: Chacun son cinéma) in the 60th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
. He made a 3 minute segment called "A 8 944 km de Cannes" (English: 5,557 Miles From Cannes).
In 2008, Salles wrote and directed the film Linha de Passe
Linha de Passe
Linha de Passe is a 2008 Brazilian film directed by Walter Salles and Daniela Thomas. Written by Salles, Thomas and Bráulio Mantovani, the film stars Vinícius de Oliveira and Sandra Corveloni, who won the Best Actress Award at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival for her role, which was her first in a...
also with Daniela Thomas
Daniela Thomas
Daniela Thomas is a Brazilian film director, screenwriter and editor.-Biography:Thomas, whose birthname is Daniela Gontijo Alves Pinto, is the daughter of the famous cartoonist Ziraldo Alves Pinto and the sister of Golden Globe Award-nominated film score composer Antonio Pinto.In 1994 she...
. It is a story about four brothers from a poor family who need to fight to follow their dreams. He was nominated for the Golden Palm and Sandra Corveloni
Sandra Corveloni
Sandra Corveloni , is a Brazilian actress of film and stage.Born and raised in São Paulo, Corveloni graduated in performing arts in the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo , one of the largest and most prestigious private universities in Brazil.In 2008, she won the Best Actress Award in...
won the best actress award for her role in this film in Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
in 2008.
Salles is presently directing José Rivera's
José Rivera (playwright)
José Rivera is a playwright and the first Puerto Rican screenwriter to be nominated for an Oscar.-Early years:Rivera was born in the Santurce section of San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1955. He was raised in Arecibo where he lived until 1959. Rivera's family migrated from Puerto Rico when he was 4 years...
screenplay adaptation of Jack Kerouac
Jack Kerouac
Jean-Louis "Jack" Lebris de Kerouac was an American novelist and poet. He is considered a literary iconoclast and, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Kerouac is recognized for his spontaneous method of writing, covering topics such as Catholic...
's On the Road
On the Road
On the Road is a novel by American writer Jack Kerouac, written in April 1951, and published by Viking Press in 1957. It is a largely autobiographical work that was based on the spontaneous road trips of Kerouac and his friends across mid-century America. It is often considered a defining work of...
, with Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
and Gus Van Sant
Gus Van Sant
Gus Green Van Sant, Jr. is an American director, screenwriter, painter, photographer, musician, and author. He is a two time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director for his 1997 film Good Will Hunting and his 2008 film Milk, both of which were also nominated for Best Picture, and won the...
producing. The film is supposed to be released in 2011.
Terra Estrangeira
Won 8 international awards, including- Rencontres Internationales de Cinéma de Paris, Audience Grand Prize
- Film Festival of Bergamo
- Film Festival of Belfort.
Central do Brasil
55 international awards, including:- Academy AwardsAcademy AwardsAn Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
nomination:- Academy Award for Best Foreign Film
- Academy Award for Best ActressAcademy Award for Best ActressPerformance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
(Fernanda MontenegroFernanda MontenegroFernanda Montenegro is a Brazilian stage, television and film actress, mostly recognized for her leading role in Central Station, which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, becoming the first Brazilian actor to be nominated.She is commonly revered as one of Brazil's finest...
)
- Berlin International Film FestivalBerlin International Film FestivalThe Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
- Golden BearGolden BearAccording to legend, the Golden Bear was a large golden Ursus arctos. Members of the Ursus arctos species can reach masses of . The Grizzly Bear and the Kodiak Bear are North American subspecies of the Brown Bear....
- Golden Bear
- Golden Globe Awards
- Best Foreign Film
- National Board of ReviewNational Board of Review of Motion PicturesThe National Board of Review of Motion Pictures was founded in 1909 in New York City, just 13 years after the birth of cinema, to protest New York City Mayor George B. McClellan, Jr.'s revocation of moving-picture exhibition licenses on Christmas Eve 1908. The mayor believed that the new medium...
- Best Foreign Film
- British Academy Film Award
- Best Foreign Film.
Abril Despedaçado
- Hollywood Foreign Press AssociationHollywood Foreign Press AssociationThe Hollywood Foreign Press Association is an organization composed of working journalists who cover the United States film industry for a variety of outlets, including newspapers and magazines in Europe, Asia, Australia and Latin America. Today, the 90 members of the HFPA represent at least 55...
- Best Foreign Film (nominated)
- National Board of ReviewNational Board of Review of Motion PicturesThe National Board of Review of Motion Pictures was founded in 1909 in New York City, just 13 years after the birth of cinema, to protest New York City Mayor George B. McClellan, Jr.'s revocation of moving-picture exhibition licenses on Christmas Eve 1908. The mayor believed that the new medium...
- Best Foreign Film (nominated)
- British Academy of Film and Television ArtsBritish Academy of Film and Television ArtsThe British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
- Best Foreign Film (nominated)
- Venice International Film Festival
- Audience Award (Leoncino d'Oro)
The Motorcycle Diaries
- Hollywood Film FestivalHollywood Film FestivalThe Hollywood Film Festival is an annual Film festival which is located in Los Angeles, California, USA. The Festival was established in 1997 by Carlos de Abreu and his wife, model Janice Pennington....
- Hollywood World Award
- Cannes Film Festival2004 Cannes Film FestivalThe 2004 Cannes Film Festival started on May 12 and ran until May 23. The Palme d'Or went to the American film Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore.-Jury:* Quentin Tarantino, President * Emmanuelle Béart * Edwidge Danticat * Tilda Swinton...
- Prize of the Ecumenical JuryPrize of the Ecumenical JuryThe Prize of the Ecumenical Jury is an independent film award for feature films at the Cannes Film Festival since 1974. The Ecumenical Jury is one of three juries at the Cannes Film Festival, along with the official jury and the FIPRESCI jury. The award was created by Christian film makers, film...
- European Film Award (nominated)
- Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
- Academy AwardsAcademy AwardsAn Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
- Best Original Song (Al Otro Lado del RíoAl otro lado del río"Al otro lado del río" is an Oscar winning song, written and performed by Uruguayan singer Jorge Drexler for the film The Motorcycle Diaries...
), composed by UruguayUruguayUruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
an Jorge DrexlerJorge DrexlerJorge Drexler is an Uruguayan musician and actor.In 2004 Drexler won wide acclaim after becoming the first Uruguayan ever to win an Academy Award...
. - Best Adapted Screenplay (nominated)
- Best Original Song (Al Otro Lado del Río
Linha de Passe
- 2008 Cannes Film Festivall
- Golden Palm (nominated)
- Best Actress (Sandra CorveloniSandra CorveloniSandra Corveloni , is a Brazilian actress of film and stage.Born and raised in São Paulo, Corveloni graduated in performing arts in the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo , one of the largest and most prestigious private universities in Brazil.In 2008, she won the Best Actress Award in...
)
Main filmography
- On the Road (2011)
- SennaSenna (film)Senna is a 2010 documentary film that depicts the life and death of Brazilian motor-racing champion, Ayrton Senna. It is Asif Kapadia's fourth feature film as director, and is produced by ESPN/Working Title and distributed by Universal Pictures/Walt Disney Pictures...
(2011, with Asif KapadiaAsif KapadiaAsif Kapadia is a British filmmaker of Indian descent. He directed several award-winning films, including The Sheep Thief , winner of the 2nd Prize Cinéfondation for Short Film at the Cannes Film Festival, The Warrior , which won the BAFTA Award for Best British Film and Senna , winner of the...
) - Linha de PasseLinha de PasseLinha de Passe is a 2008 Brazilian film directed by Walter Salles and Daniela Thomas. Written by Salles, Thomas and Bráulio Mantovani, the film stars Vinícius de Oliveira and Sandra Corveloni, who won the Best Actress Award at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival for her role, which was her first in a...
(2008) - To Each His Own CinemaTo Each His Own CinemaTo Each His Own Cinema is a 2007 French anthology film commissioned for the 60th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival. The film is a collection of 34 short films, each 3 minutes in length, by 36 acclaimed directors...
(segment A 8 944 km de Cannes (5,557 Miles From Cannes), 2007) - Paris, je t'aimeParis, je t'aimeParis, Je t'aime is a 2006 anthology film starring an ensemble cast of actors of various nationalities. The two-hour film consists of eighteen short films set in different arrondissements...
(segment "Loin du 16e", 2006) - Dark Water (2005)
- Diários de Motocicleta (The Motorcycle Diaries, 2004)
- Abril Despedaçado (Behind the Sun, 2001)
- O Primeiro Dia (Midnight, 1999)
- Central do Brasil (Central Station, 1998)
- Terra Estrangeira (Foreign Land, 1995)
- Socorro NobreLife Somewhere ElseLife Somewhere Else is a 1995 documentary film directed by Walter Salles. It tells the story of a woman who while undertaking a 20 year prison sentence is inspired by the story of Polish artist, Franz Krajcberg, and becomes pen pals with him....
(Life Somewhere Else, 1995) - A Grande Arte (Exposure, 1991)
External links
- Video interview with Walter Salles opening Cambridge Film Festival 2008 with "Linha de Passe" ITV Anglia
- Interview with Walter Salles at Cannes 2008 on "Linha de Passe" at IFC.com
- Walter Salles interviewed by Michael Ordoña for the San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chroniclethumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...