Pablo Larraín facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pablo Larraín
Larraín at the 2024 Venice Film Festival
Born	Pablo Larraín Matte (1976-08-19) 19 August 1976 (age 49) Santiago, Chile
Alma mater	University for the Arts, Sciences, and Communication
Occupation	Filmmaker
Years active	2003–present
Style	Drama, crime, historical drama, biographical film
Spouse(s)	Antonia Zegers ​ ​ (m. 2008; div. 2014)​
Children	2
Parent(s)	Hernán Larraín Magdalena Matte

Pablo Larraín Matte (born August 19, 1976) is a famous filmmaker from Chile. He is known for directing movies that tell powerful stories, often about important people or events in history. Some of his most famous films are Neruda (2016), Jackie (2016), Spencer (2021), and Maria (2024).

His 2012 movie No was a major success. It was the first movie from Chile ever nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. He also helped produce the movie A Fantastic Woman (2017), which became the first Chilean film to win that Oscar. In 2021, Larraín also directed a miniseries for Apple TV+ called Lisey's Story.

Early Life and Schooling

Pablo Larraín Matte was born in Santiago, the capital of Chile. His father, Hernán Larraín, was a law professor and later a senator. His mother, Magdalena Matte, also worked in the government.

For college, he studied audiovisual communication at the UNIACC University in Santiago. This is where he learned the skills to become a filmmaker.

Career as a Filmmaker

Getting Started

In 2003, Pablo and his brother, Juan de Dios, started their own production company called Fábula. Through this company, they make their own movies and commercials. They also help other new directors from around the world make their films.

Larraín's first movie was Fuga (2006). It won awards at film festivals in other countries. His second movie, Tony Manero (2008), was about a man obsessed with the character from Saturday Night Fever. It was shown at the famous Cannes Film Festival.

His next film, Post Mortem (2010), was set during the 1973 military coup in Chile. This was a time when the government was overthrown. The movie premiered at the Venice Film Festival and competed for the top prize, the Golden Lion.

The Pinochet Trilogy

Many of Larraín's early films explore life in Chile under the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, which lasted from 1973 to 1990. The films Tony Manero, Post Mortem, and No are often called his "unintentional trilogy" because they all look at this difficult period in Chilean history.

The movie No (2012) tells the true story of the 1988 vote that removed Pinochet from power. The film stars actor Gael García Bernal as an advertising expert who creates the "No" campaign to encourage people to vote for change. The movie won an award at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Oscar.

Larraín has said that during the dictatorship, art and culture in Chile were suppressed. He feels it's important to tell these stories so people don't forget what happened.

Famous Biopics

In 2016, Larraín directed two major films. One was Neruda, about the famous Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. The other was his first English-language film, Jackie. It starred Natalie Portman as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, the wife of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. The movie shows her life in the days after her husband's death. Portman's acting earned her an Academy Award nomination.

Larraín continued making films about famous women. In 2021, he directed Spencer, starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana. The movie imagines what Diana's life was like during a difficult holiday with the royal family. Stewart also received an Oscar nomination for her performance.

His 2024 film, Maria, stars Angelina Jolie as the legendary opera singer Maria Callas. It focuses on her final days in Paris.

Recent Work

In 2023, Larraín directed El Conde, a very unusual film. It's a black-and-white movie that imagines the dictator Augusto Pinochet as a 250-year-old vampire. The film won an award for its screenplay at the Venice Film Festival.

He also produces many films for other directors. He was a producer for The Eternal Memory, a documentary that was nominated for an Academy Award in 2024.

Personal Life

Pablo Larraín was married to Chilean actress Antonia Zegers from 2008 to 2014. They have two children together.

Even though his parents are part of a conservative political party, Larraín has different views. In the 2013 Chilean election, he supported Michelle Bachelet, a candidate from a center-left party.

Filmography

As Director

As Producer Only (Selected Films)

• Ulysses (2011)
• The Year of the Tiger (2011)
• Young & Wild (2012)
• Crystal Fairy & the Magical Cactus (2013)
• Gloria (2013)
• A Fantastic Woman (2017)
• Gloria Bell (2018)
• Nobody Knows I'm Here (2020)
• Fever Dream (2021)
• The Eternal Memory (2023)
• Sayen (2023)
• Sorcery (2023)

Television

Awards and Recognition

Pablo Larraín's films have won many awards and have been nominated for some of the biggest prizes in the movie world.

Actors' Award Nominations

Two actresses have received Academy Award nominations for their roles in Pablo Larraín's films.

See also

In Spanish: Pablo Larraín para niños