Alfonso Cuarón facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alfonso Cuarón
Cuarón in 2024
Born	Alfonso Cuarón Orozco (1961-11-28) 28 November 1961 (age 63) Mexico City, Mexico
Alma mater	National Autonomous University of Mexico
Occupation	Film director film producer screenwriter cinematographer film editor
Years active	1981–present
Notable work	Full list
Spouse(s)	Mariana Elizondo ​ ​ (m. 1980; div. 1993)​ Annalisa Bugliani ​ ​ (m. 2001; div. 2008)​
Children	3, including Jonás Cuarón
Relatives	Carlos Cuarón (brother)
Awards	Full list

Alfonso Cuarón Orozco (born November 28, 1961) is a famous filmmaker from Mexico. He is known for directing, producing, and writing movies. He has won many important awards, including four Academy Awards (also known as Oscars), three Golden Globe Awards, and seven BAFTA Awards.

Cuarón's first major film was the romantic comedy Sólo con tu pareja (1991). He also directed movie versions of classic books like A Little Princess (1995) and Great Expectations (1998). He became very well-known with the coming-of-age film Y tu mamá también (2001). This movie earned him an Oscar nomination for his writing.

He became even more famous for directing the fantasy film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004). Other big films he directed include the futuristic drama Children of Men (2006), the space adventure Gravity (2013), and the personal drama Roma (2018). He won Best Director Oscars for both Gravity and Roma. He also won Best Film Editing for Gravity and Best Cinematography for Roma.

Early Life and Education

Alfonso Cuarón was born in Mexico City. His father, Alfredo Cuarón, was a doctor, and his mother, Cristina Orozco, was a scientist who worked with medicines. He has a sister, Christina, and two brothers. One brother, Carlos Cuarón, is also a filmmaker.

Alfonso studied philosophy at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. He also studied filmmaking at a school within the same university. There, he met director Carlos Marcovich and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki. Together, they made his first short film, Vengeance Is Mine.

Filmmaking Career

Early Work and First Films

Cuarón at the Guadalajara International Film Festival in 1998.

Cuarón started his career working in television in Mexico. He began as a technician and later became a director. His TV work led him to be an assistant director for several movies. These included La Gran Fiesta (1985) and Gaby: A True Story (1987).

In 1991, he directed his first full-length movie, Sólo con tu pareja. It was a romantic comedy about a businessman who thinks he has a serious illness after a misunderstanding. Cuarón not only directed but also helped write, produce, and edit the film. This movie was very popular in Mexico.

After this success, American director Sydney Pollack hired Cuarón. He directed an episode of Fallen Angels in 1993. This was a TV series with many famous directors working on it.

Making Movies in the United States

In 1995, Cuarón released his first movie made in the United States. It was A Little Princess, based on a classic book by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Critics loved the film. Janet Maslin from The New York Times called it "a bright, beautiful and enchantingly childlike vision." The movie was nominated for two Academy Awards.

Cuarón's next film was also based on a book. It was a modern version of Charles Dickens's Great Expectations (1998). This movie starred Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Robert De Niro.

Big Success and Famous Films

Cuarón and Clive Owen. They worked together on Children of Men.

In 2001, Cuarón went back to Mexico to film Y tu mamá también. This movie was about two teenage friends on a road trip with an older woman. It explored themes of friendship and growing up. The film was a big hit around the world and with critics. It earned Cuarón an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, which he shared with his brother Carlos Cuarón.

In 2004, Cuarón directed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. This was the third movie in the popular Harry Potter series. Some fans had questions about his new style for the film. However, the author, J. K. Rowling, loved it and said it was her favorite Harry Potter movie so far. Critics also praised the film for its new feel and for truly capturing the spirit of the books. Many people still consider it one of the best Harry Potter films.

In 2006, Cuarón directed Children of Men. This movie was based on a book by P. D. James and starred Clive Owen. It received great reviews and was nominated for three Academy Awards. Cuarón himself received two nominations for his work on the film.

Cuarón also started a film company called Esperanto Filmoj. This company has helped produce movies like Pan's Labyrinth and Gravity. He also co-founded another company, "Tequila Gang," with other filmmakers like Guillermo del Toro.

Winning Major Awards

Cuaron at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival in 2015.

In 2010, Cuarón began working on Gravity, a drama set in space. He worked with producer David Heyman, who he knew from the Harry Potter film. The movie starred Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. Gravity was a huge success when it came out in 2013. It earned a lot of money and won many awards. Cuarón won the Golden Globe for Best Director. The film received ten Academy Award nominations. Cuarón won the Oscar for Best Director, becoming the first Latin American to win this award. He also won Best Film Editing for Gravity.

Cuarón in 2013

In 2013, Cuarón also created a science fiction TV series called Believe for NBC. In 2014, Time magazine named him one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World." In 2015, Cuarón was chosen to be the head of the jury for the 72nd Venice International Film Festival.

In 2016, Cuarón started making his eighth film, Roma. This movie tells the story of a housekeeper for a family in Mexico City in the 1970s. It was based on the life of his own family's longtime maid. The film won the top prize at the 75th Venice International Film Festival. It was later released on Netflix. Roma was highly praised and won many awards. It received two Golden Globes and three Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best International Feature Film for Cuarón. He also won Best Cinematography for Roma.

In 2019, Cuarón signed a deal with Apple to create TV shows. His first series for Apple is a thriller called Disclaimer. He is writing and directing every episode of this show.

Filmmaking Style

Alfonso Cuarón's films often mix styles from big Hollywood movies with more unique approaches. He sometimes uses voiceover narration and very long shots, which are more common in documentaries.

For example, in his film Y Tu Mama Tambien, the average shot length was much longer than typical movies. His film Children of Men also had very long shots between cuts. This style helps to draw the audience into the story and make it feel more real.

Cuarón's films often explore important ideas. In Y Tu Mama Tambien, he included messages about Mexican identity and society. He also touches on themes of social class in his movies.

Personal Life

Alfonso Cuarón has three children. His first son, Jonás Cuarón, was born in 1981 and is also a film director. Alfonso was married to Mariana Elizondo and later to Italian actress Annalisa Bugliani.

He is interested in the Esperanto language and named his production company Esperanto Filmoj. Cuarón is a vegetarian and has lived in London since 2000.

Filmography

Awards and Nominations

Alfonso Cuarón's films have won many awards. Here's a summary of some of the major awards his directed films have received:

See also

In Spanish: Alfonso Cuarón para niños

• Esperanto Filmoj
• Cinema of Mexico
• List of Mexican Academy Award winners and nominees