Nelson Pereira dos Santos

Nelson Pereira dos Santos was one of the pioneers of the Cinema Novo movement in Brazil, which aimed to portray the social and political reality of the country through a realistic and independent style of filmmaking. He was inspired by Italian neorealism and used documentary techniques, location shooting, and non-professional actors to create films that focused on the lives of the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized. He was also influenced by the Brazilian modernist trope of Antropofagia, or cultural cannibalism, which advocated the appropriation and transformation of foreign influences into a uniquely Brazilian expression. Some of his most acclaimed films include Rio, 40 Degrees (1955), Barren Lives (1963), How Tasty Was My Little Frenchman (1971), and The Third Bank of the River (1994). He was also a writer, producer, and professor of cinema, and a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters since 2006. He received many awards and honors for his work, including the Order of Cultural Merit, the Prince Claus Award, and the Cannes Film Festival's Golden Camera. He died in 2018 at the age of 89, leaving behind a rich and influential legacy for Brazilian cinema and culture.