Fernando Meirelles Brazilian film director Date of Birth: 09.11.1955 Country: Brazil

1. Biography of Fernando Meirelles
2. Education and Early Career
3. Founding "Olhar Eletrônico" and "O2 Films"
4. Success with "City of God" and International Acclaim

Biography of Fernando Meirelles

Fernando Meirelles is a renowned Brazilian film director, best known for his Oscar-nominated film in 2004 and Golden Globe-nominated film in 2005. He was born in 1955 in São Paulo, Brazil, into a family of a gastroenterologist doctor. His father often traveled to Asian and North American countries and would take young Fernando along, exposing him to numerous places and cultures. At the age of 12, he was gifted a video camera, which ultimately sparked his passion for filmmaking.

Education and Early Career

In the 1980s, Meirelles studied at the School of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of São Paulo. For his final project, instead of a traditional design, he created a film, purchasing all the necessary video equipment from Japan. Although he received the minimum passing grade for his project, it ignited his interest in filmmaking. During his university years, Meirelles dabbled in making films and later worked for television before becoming a director of commercials.

Founding "Olhar Eletrônico" and "O2 Films"

Together with four friends, Meirelles (P. Morelli, M. Makhado, D. Vizeu, B. Salatini), he started making their own experimental films and founded the production company "Olhar Eletrônico." In addition to hot-topic television programs that aired in the early 1980s, he also created the children's TV series "Rá-Tim-Bum," which garnered good ratings and established his own image. By the end of the 1980s, the friends closed down "Olhar Eletrônico" and formed the advertising company "O2 Films." Within a decade, Meirelles became the top producer in the advertising industry in Brazil, and at present, "O2 Films" is the largest advertising company in the country, with Fernando as its co-owner.

Success with "City of God" and International Acclaim

In 1997, Meirelles came across the book "City of God" by Paulo Lins and decided to adapt it into a film. In 2002, he released the film of the same name, with actors selected from the slum residents, while the film crew consisted of professionals. The success of the film was not only national but also international, earning Meirelles an Oscar nomination for Best Director in 2004. At the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, the film received four nominations, including Best Director. In 2005, Fernando directed his first English film, "The Constant Gardener," followed by the opening of the 2008 Cannes Film Festival with his adaptation of Nobel laureate José Saramago's novel, "Blindness." In addition to these films, Maestro also directed a few lesser-known films such as "O Menino Maluquinho 2" (1998) and "Domésticas" (2001).