
Directing
Fernando Meirelles
Born
1955-11-09 (70)
Place of birth
São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Known for
Directing
Credits
54 titles
Fernando Ferreira Meirelles (Brazilian Portuguese:[feʁˈnɐ̃du mejˈɾɛlis]; born 9 November 1955) is a Brazilian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for co-directing the film City of God, released in 2002 in Brazil and in 2003 in the U.S. by Miramax Films, which received international critical acclaim. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director for his work in the film. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Director in 2005 for The Constant Gardener, which garnered the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Rachel Weisz. He also directed the 2008 adaptation of José Saramago's novel Blindness and the 2011 film 360. In 2019, Meirelles …
Known for
5.6The South Bank Show is a television arts magazine show produced by ITV between 1978 and 2010. A new series began on Sky Arts from 27 May 2012. Presented by Melvyn Bragg, the show aims to bring both high art and popular culture to a mass audience.
The South Bank Show
1978
6.2Some of this year's most talked about talent open up about the challenges and triumphs of creating critically acclaimed series and performances.
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
2015
8.4In the poverty-stricken favelas of Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s, two young men choose different paths. Rocket is a budding photographer who documents the increasing drug-related violence of his neighborhood, while José “Zé” Pequeno is an ambitious drug dealer diving into a dangerous life of crime.
City of God
2002
6.9In future Rio de Janeiro, a young leader of the resistance must enter a deadly parkour-inspired competition in order to save his sister's life.
Beast Race
2026
7.5Frustrated with the direction of the church, Cardinal Bergoglio requests permission to retire in 2012 from Pope Benedict. Instead, facing scandal and self-doubt, the introspective Pope Benedict summons his harshest critic and future successor to Rome to reveal a secret that would shake the foundations of the Catholic Church.
The Two Popes
2019
6.5When a sudden plague of blindness devastates a city, a small group of the afflicted band together to triumphantly overcome the horrific conditions of their imposed quarantine.
Blindness
2008
Film credits
2020s · 2 titles
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Operação Lorca, o bailado
2026
Through the relationship between Maria Prata and her grandmother, Laura Góes, the documentary explores why so many people prefer not to confront issues related to the climate crisis despite the wealth of available information and the occurrence of recurring global tragedies. The film interweaves the pair’s walks through the century-old garden the family matriarch planted in the mountains of Rio de Janeiro state with interviews featuring prominent figures who have, in one way or another, engaged with this conversation.
Why Not?
2026
2010s · 5 titles
NRThe documentary “Comercial” brings a portrait of Brazilian advertising, from the perspective of the production of advertising films, told through the eyes of scene directors, creatives and clients; from those who lived the golden age of advertising in Brazil, to the professionals of the new generation; talking about the challenges, changes, the future of advertising films in Brazil and new language trends.
Comercial
2010
5.9The story of Stress & Relax: a businessman who thinks only of money and a film director who lives for insisting that this invest in their projects. This time, the "project" is to look for the oldest tree in Brazil. Stress is excited about the possibility of making money with this rarity. The problem is that they do not know exactly where it is. Stress and Relax out in search of the "Big Jequitibá Rose" with no map, no compass and clueless.
Brasil Animado
2011
10.0For the first time ever, experience the work of a nation as it host the world and puts on a show like never before.
VIVA - The opening Ceremony Documentary of Rio 2016
2017
NRPassages showcases Brazilian films in which the utilisation of artforms and media such as literature, painting, theatre, music, photography, radio and television, functions as a 'passage' to political and social reality.
Passages: Travelling In and Out of Film Through Brazilian Geography
2019
NRNo synopsis available yet.
O Velho Guerreiro Não Morrerá - O Cangaceiro de Lima Barreto 50 Anos Depois
2011
2000s · 4 titles
7.9Seventy critics and filmmakers discuss cinema around the conflict between the artist and the observer, the creator and the critic. Between 1998 and 2007, Kléber Mendonça Filho recorded testimonies about this relationship in Brazil, the United States and Europe, based on his experience as a critic.
Critic
2008
NRA making-of directed by Bodanzky himself, the documentary discusses the language of the film Iracema - Uma Transa Amazônica 30 years after it was made, gathering interviews with the authors, actors, critics and the filmmakers themselves.
Once Upon a Time There Was Iracema
2005
4.0The Constant Gardener featurette.
Anatomy of a Global Thriller: Behind the Scenes of The Constant Gardener
2006
6.0Documentary on the preparation of actors for "City of God".
Cidade de Deus: Oficina dos Atores
2003
Series credits
5.6The South Bank Show is a television arts magazine show produced by ITV between 1978 and 2010. A new series began on Sky Arts from 27 May 2012. Presented by Melvyn Bragg, the show aims to bring both high art and popular culture to a mass audience.
The South Bank Show
1978
6.2Some of this year's most talked about talent open up about the challenges and triumphs of creating critically acclaimed series and performances.
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
2015
Behind the camera
8.4In the poverty-stricken favelas of Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s, two young men choose different paths. Rocket is a budding photographer who documents the increasing drug-related violence of his neighborhood, while José “Zé” Pequeno is an ambitious drug dealer diving into a dangerous life of crime.
City of God
2002
6.9In future Rio de Janeiro, a young leader of the resistance must enter a deadly parkour-inspired competition in order to save his sister's life.
Beast Race
2026
6.9In future Rio de Janeiro, a young leader of the resistance must enter a deadly parkour-inspired competition in order to save his sister's life.
Beast Race
2026
7.5Frustrated with the direction of the church, Cardinal Bergoglio requests permission to retire in 2012 from Pope Benedict. Instead, facing scandal and self-doubt, the introspective Pope Benedict summons his harshest critic and future successor to Rome to reveal a secret that would shake the foundations of the Catholic Church.
The Two Popes
2019
6.5When a sudden plague of blindness devastates a city, a small group of the afflicted band together to triumphantly overcome the horrific conditions of their imposed quarantine.
Blindness
2008
7.0Justin Quayle is a low-level British diplomat who has always gone about his work very quietly, not causing any problems. But after his radical wife Tessa is killed he becomes determined to find out why, thrusting himself into the middle of a very dangerous conspiracy.
The Constant Gardener
2005
7.0Best buddies Acerola and Laranjinha, about to turn 18, discover things about their missing fathers' pasts which will shatter their solid friendship, in the middle of a war between rival drug gangs from Rio's favelas.
City of Men
2007
7.1An impoverished teen seeking to escape the clutches of a human trafficker must weigh living up to his moral code against his struggle to survive.
7 Prisoners
2021
4.8The third episode of the Cities of Love franchise, Rio, I Love You is an anthology, created by 10 visionary directors from across the globe. The story line of each segment focuses on an encounter of love in a different neighborhood of the city, demonstrating the distinctive qualities and character of that location. The film serves to bridge gaps between cultures, educating and entertaining the audience, while celebrating unique and universal expressions of love.
Rio, I Love You
2014
7.1In 1998, a small South American village is in a flurry over the Pope's upcoming visit for the business opportunities that it will provide. While most of the residents plan to sell food at the parade, a smuggler family man decides to build a pay toilet.
The Pope's Toilet
2007
5.7A disparate group of characters unknowingly bond by the sexual choices they make. Consumed by loneliness, a British businessman ponders a rendezvous with a prostitute. The businessman's wife prepares to call it quits with her younger lover. A Brazilian student breaks up with her boyfriend in London. A recovering alcoholic travels to Phoenix in search of his missing daughter. A paroled sex offender struggles to stay composed when propositioned in a Denver airport. A widower's religious devotion is put to a difficult test.
360
2012
NRAn unconventional heist movie about three people locked in a deadly game of cons and double crosses.
Here Comes the Flood
—
NRAn unconventional heist movie about three people locked in a deadly game of cons and double crosses.
Here Comes the Flood
—
6.4Marcelo leaves his family and moves to Mato Grosso do Sul, where he learns how to fly airplanes by himself watching the pilots. One day, he responds the call of a drug dealer and uses his boss' plane to help the man to transport his cargo. He is hired by the drug lord to work transporting drugs in his airplanes. When he is arrested by the Federal Police, he does not rat his gang and the leader of the cartel gives a large amount of money as a bonus and asks him to leave the gang since he is known by the police. Marcelo uses the money to promote a party in the Carnival of Recife pretending to be the son of the owner of the Gol (a Brazilian air flight company). He lures the high-society, including the television presenter Amaury Jr. Marcelo is arrested again and is sent to prison. During a rebellion, he uses his leadership to present the claims of the prisoners and help to control the situation.
VIPs
2011
6.9Enio is a middle-aged man who lives in solitude after a failed relationship. Pedro, 30, dates Teresa, who is moving to her home. He inherited a carpentry from his father and a taste for the pool. When a traffic accident crosses the parallel trajectories of the two, the imponderable imposes itself and the uncontrol begins.
Not by Chance
2007
NRObservational documentary about people as refugees and asylum seekers in many geographical locations such as Germany, Brazil, Western Sahara, Myanmar, Cuba, South Sudan.
Exodus: Where I come from is disappearing
2016
7.0With fireworks forming the word “Rio” in the sky and supermodel Gisele Bundchen shimmering to the tune of “The Girl from Ipanema,” Rio de Janiero welcomed the world to the first Olympic Games in South America with a serious message underlying the celebration: Let’s take care of our planet.
Rio 2016 Olympic Opening Ceremony: A New World
2016
4.5In this new adventure, Maluquinho is spending the holidays at the home of his grandfather Tônico (Stênio Garcia), an inventor who lives in a small community in the interior of Minas Gerais. His friends Junim (Samuel Brandão), Lucio (Cauã Bernard Souza), Bocão (João Romeu Filho) and Nina (Fernanda Guimarães) are coming to the city to help Maluquinho organize the circus for the centenary of the city. On this trip, they meet Tatá-Mirim, a small flame that ends up making the city believe that they are being invaded by the Capeta. So they end up living many adventures.
The Nutty Boy 2
1998
NRFilmed over seven years, the documentary follows Valter Hugo Mãe as he writes his novel “A Desumanização”, across journeys through Iceland, Brazil, Portugal, Colombia, and Macau. A visual meditation on solitude, loss, and belonging, featuring appearances by cartoonist Laerte Coutinho and Icelandic composer Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, mentor of bands such as Sigur Rós and Björk. The film is part of the project “The Meaning of Life”, which director Miguel Gonçalves Mendes has been developing for more than a decade: a series of nine features built as a kaleidoscope of contemporary figures, in which the filmmaker invites us to reflect on what makes us, as humans, unique beings.
From Nowhere: A Portrait of Valter Hugo Mãe
2025
5.9A 1980s-set drama about a teenage girl undergoing her sexual awakening when she learns about her father's infidelities.
Adrift
2009
6.2Two friends hit the road to Buenos Aires aboard an orange Opala 72, with a mission: be with as many women as possible. This is all a plan to wash the honor of "Caco", a man who found his girlfriend in bed with an Argentine.
El Revenge
2017
7.1Five maids in São Paulo are observed in this episodic, impressionistic film. The women interact with each other, ride busses, work, and have longings: Rai for a husband, Créo for her lost daughter, Roxane for a career in modeling. Quitéria is naive, a gull for thieves. Cida has a husband and also a lover. While each woman gets what she wishes for (more or less), it doesn't always make things better.
Maids
2001
7.1Five maids in São Paulo are observed in this episodic, impressionistic film. The women interact with each other, ride busses, work, and have longings: Rai for a husband, Créo for her lost daughter, Roxane for a career in modeling. Quitéria is naive, a gull for thieves. Cida has a husband and also a lover. While each woman gets what she wishes for (more or less), it doesn't always make things better.
Maids
2001
6.2An epic journey along Africa's Great Green Wall — an ambitious vision to grow a wall of trees stretching across the entire continent to fight against increasing drought, desertification and climate change.
The Great Green Wall
2020
NRFollows three friends, Marc, Serge and Yvan, and one ridiculously expensive, plain white painting. It’s procurement by one friend and differing opinions about what constitutes ‘art’ sparks a conflict among the group that uncovers long-held grievances and tension points in their relationships.
Art
—
7.3A deeply moving story about love, loss and literature, this documentary follows the days of José Saramago, the Nobel-laureate Portuguese novelist, and his wife, Pilar del Río. The film shows their whirlwind life of international travel, his passion for completing his masterpiece "The Elephant's Journey", and how their love quietly sustains them throughout.
José & Pilar
2010
7.4Three brothers embark on a journey that begins with a kinship with Brazil's indigenous tribes, to their creation of South America's largest national park.
Xingu
2012
5.2A story about the lies, treachery and vengeance of a middle-class family living on the outskirts of São Paulo. Four characters try desperately to change their lives, but are unable to escape their destiny.
Up Against Them All
2004
Reunion of four reportages made by production company "Olhar Eletrônico" between 1983 and 1986, in which an irreverent reporter, Ernesto Varela, a creation of actor/director Marcelo Tas, tackles some hot topics, such as money evasion in Brazil, gold-digging at Serra Pelada, the homeless in São Paulo and a love story spoof.
Olhar Eletrônico
1986
NRThis short film portrays the last hours of a young man before assuming homosexuality. He struggles to tell his father that he is gay, but gets inspired from a conversation with friends.
Amanhecer
2010
NRIn The Meaning of Life we will take part on a journey throughout the world to question our existence through the inquiries of a young Brazilian, with a rare hereditary disease with no cure.
The Meaning of Life
2021
8.0Follows the struggles of a small theatre company attempting to adapt a Shakespeare play.
Sound & Fury: Film
2010
8.0Follows the struggles of a small theatre company attempting to adapt a Shakespeare play.
Sound & Fury: Film
2010
8.0Follows the struggles of a small theatre company attempting to adapt a Shakespeare play.
Sound & Fury: Film
2010
NRA biopic about star Elza Soares, considered one of the greatest samba singers ever and a symbol of the struggle against racism and women discrimination in Brazil.
Elza: A Mulher do Fim do Mundo
—
A film about weddings, professions, children, travel plans and a train that separates it all.
E No Meio Passa Um Trem
1998
NRAn experimental documentary following the busy life of an office worker in São Paulo, Marly, and how he manages to have a personal life beyond that.
Marly Normal
1983
6.2In 1983, director Fernando Meirelles read an article in the newspaper about the punks circulating in downtown São Paulo. Half suspicious, he went to see what it was all about. The result is Boys From The Suburbs, his first "most worked"Film.
Punk em São Paulo: Garotos do Subúrbio
1983
6.8Two young boys, Laranjinha and Acerola, living in Cidade de Deus, one of the most violent neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro, need some money to go to a concert. The "easiest" (and most dangerous) way to get it is working for some drug-dealers.
Palace II
2000
A poetic vision of the city Brasília.
Brasília
1983
