Pedro Costa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pedro Costa
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Born | 30 December 1958 Lisbon, Portugal
|
| Alma mater | University of Lisbon Lisbon Theatre and Film School |
| Occupation | Film director, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1984–present |
Pedro Costa, born on December 30, 1958, is a famous film director from Portugal. He is well-known for making movies about the lives of people in a poor neighborhood in Lisbon called Fontainhas. His films often show the challenges faced by people living there.
Contents
Biography
After studying history at the University of Lisbon, Pedro Costa started working in films. He was an assistant director for other filmmakers. At 30 years old, he directed his first movie, O Sangue.
Pedro Costa's films have always been praised by critics. He won the France Culture Award at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival for his film In Vanda's Room. His movie Colossal Youth was shown at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. It also won an award in Los Angeles in 2008. Later, Horse Money earned him the Best Director award at the Locarno Festival in 2014. In 2019, his film Vitalina Varela won the top prize, the Gold Leopard, at the same festival.
Style and influences
Pedro Costa is considered part of a group of filmmakers called "The School of Reis". António Reis, a Portuguese director, was his teacher at the Lisbon Theatre and Film School.
Costa's films are often described as looking like paintings by Rembrandt. He is known for using a simple, clear style to show people who are often overlooked. Many of the people in his films are not professional actors. Instead, they play themselves, showing their real lives in difficult situations.
His early movies were shot using digital video. They are sometimes called examples of docufiction, which mixes documentary and fiction. Even in his later films, he still works with non-actors. However, his style has changed from a low-resolution, documentary look to more artistic and carefully composed scenes.
Fontainhas sequence
Since his film Ossos, Pedro Costa's movies have all been set in Fontainhas. This was a slum neighborhood on the edge of Lisbon. The people in his films are often immigrants or those facing social challenges. They appear as characters in many of his movies. For example, the character Ventura is the main person in both Colossal Youth and Horse Money.
Political views
In December 2023, Pedro Costa joined 50 other filmmakers in signing an open letter. This letter asked for a ceasefire and an end to harm against civilians during the 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. It also called for help to reach Gaza and for hostages to be released.
In January 2024, he also signed another open letter with over 300 filmmakers. This letter was against cuts to the funding of the Argentine film agency INCAA.
Filmography
Features
- O Sangue (1989)
- Casa de Lava (1994)
- Ossos (1997)
- In Vanda's Room (2000)
- Colossal Youth (2006)
- Horse Money (2014)
- Vitalina Varela (2019)
Documentaries and shorts
- Where Does Your Hidden Smile Lie? (2001) (documentary)
- "The End of a Love Affair" (2003) (short)
- "State of the World" (2007) -Tarrafa segment (short)
- "Memories" (2007) - The Rabbit Hunter segment (short)
- Change Nothing (2009) (documentary)
- "O nosso Homem" (2010) (short)
- "Sweet Exorcist" (2012) - Centro Histórico segment (short)
- "The Daughters of Fire" (2023) (short)
Plays
- The Daughters of Fire (2016)
See also
In Spanish: Pedro Costa (director de cine) para niños
- Docufiction
- Ethnofiction
- List of directors associated with art film
