Walter Salles facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Walter Salles
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Salles at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2024
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| Born |
Walter Moreira Salles Júnior
12 April 1956 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Filmmaker, editor |
| Spouse(s) |
Maria Klabin
(m. 2004) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) |
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| Relatives | João Moreira Salles (brother) Pedro Moreira Salles (brother) |
Walter Moreira Salles Júnior (born 12 April 1956) is a famous filmmaker from Brazil. He is known for directing many important movies. Many people think he is one of the best Brazilian filmmakers ever.
Walter Salles has won many awards for his films. These include three prizes from the Cannes Film Festival, three from the Venice Film Festival, and two British Academy Film Awards. He also won a Golden Bear and a Golden Globe. He even accepted an Academy Award for Best International Feature Film for Brazil. This was the first time a Brazilian film won an Oscar in any category!
He became famous around the world for his film Central Station (1998). This movie was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Foreign Language Film and Best Actress for Fernanda Montenegro. It won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA for Best Foreign Language Film. It also won the Golden Bear at the 48th Berlin International Film Festival.
Some of his other well-known films are Behind the Sun (2001), The Motorcycle Diaries (2004), Dark Water (2005), and On the Road (2012). His recent film, I'm Still Here (2024), was nominated for Best Picture and Best International Feature at the 97th Academy Awards. It won the Best International Feature award, making it the first Brazilian film to win an Oscar. Walter Salles is also one of the richest filmmakers in the world.
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Walter Salles's Early Life
Walter Salles was born on April 12, 1956, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. When he was young, he lived in both France and the United States. This was because his father, Walter Moreira Salles, was a diplomat. A diplomat is someone who represents their country in other nations.
When Walter Salles was 15, he moved back to Brazil. At that time, Brazil was under a strict government called a dictatorship. He studied at the University of Southern California's film school. Before making movies with actors and stories, he spent ten years making non-fiction films called documentaries.
Walter Salles's Filmmaking Career
Walter Salles's first important film was Terra Estrangeira (which means "Foreign Land"). It came out in Brazil in 1995. Film critics in Brazil really liked it, and it was shown at over 40 film festivals around the world.
International Success with Central Station
In 1998, he released Central Station. This movie became very popular internationally. It was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Actress for Fernanda Montenegro and Best Foreign Language Film. Salles won a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film for this movie. He was the first Brazilian to win a Golden Globe.
In 2001, his film Abril Despedaçado (known as "Behind the Sun") was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film. This movie was based on a book by an Albanian writer named Ismail Kadare.
Directing The Motorcycle Diaries
In 2003, The Guardian newspaper named Walter Salles one of the 40 best directors in the world. His biggest international hit was Diarios de Motocicleta ("The Motorcycle Diaries") in 2004. This film tells the story of a young Ernesto Guevara, who later became known as Che Guevara. It was the first time Salles directed a movie in a language other than his native Portuguese. This film was in Spanish. It quickly became very popular in Latin America and Europe. He won two awards at the Cannes Film Festival for this movie.
In 2005, Salles directed his first Hollywood film, Dark Water. This movie was a remake of a Japanese film. He also helped produce an Argentine film called Hermanas, which was very successful.
Later Projects and Awards
In 2006, Walter Salles wrote and directed a short part of the French film Paris, je t'aime (which means "Paris, I love you"). This film was a collection of 18 short stories made by different directors, each set in a different part of Paris. Salles's part was called Loin du 16e (meaning Far from the 16th).
In 2007, he worked on a similar project called To Each His Own Cinema. This was for the 60th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival. He made a three-minute film called A 8.944 km de Cannes (5,557 miles from Cannes).
In 2008, Salles wrote and directed the film Linha de Passe. This movie is about four brothers from a poor family who are trying to achieve their dreams. The film was nominated for the Golden Palm award at the Cannes Film Festival. The actress Sandra Corveloni won the Best Actress award for her role in this film.
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In 2012, Salles released On the Road. This film was based on a famous book by Jack Kerouac. The movie was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.
Twelve years later, in 2024, Salles released I'm Still Here ("Ainda Estou Aqui"). This film is based on a book by Marcelo Rubens Paiva. It was nominated for the Golden Lion at the 81st Venice International Film Festival and Best Foreign Language Film at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards. The actress Fernanda Torres won the Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama award for her role in this film. She was the first Brazilian actress to win a Golden Globe for acting.
Walter Salles's Fortune
As of early 2025, Walter Salles is one of the richest filmmakers in the world. He is ranked third, after Steven Spielberg and George Lucas.
Walter Salles's Films
Feature Films
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | A Grande Arte | Yes | No | No | |
| 1995 | Life Somewhere Else | Yes | Yes | No | Short film |
| Foreign Land | Yes | Yes | No | Co-directed with Daniela Thomas | |
| 1998 | Central Station | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Midnight | Yes | Yes | No | Co-directed with Daniela Thomas | |
| 2001 | Behind the Sun | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2002 | City of God | No | No | Yes | |
| 2004 | The Motorcycle Diaries | Yes | No | No | |
| 2005 | Dark Water | Yes | No | No | |
| 2006 | Paris, je t'aime | Yes | Yes | No | Segment: "Loin du 16e" |
| 2007 | To Each His Own Cinema | Yes | No | No | Segment: "5,557 Miles From Cannes" |
| 2008 | Linha de Passe | Yes | No | Yes | Co-directed with Daniela Thomas |
| 2010 | In Search of the World | Yes | No | No | Short essay |
| 2012 | On the Road | Yes | No | Uncredited | |
| 2023 | The Movie Teller | No | Yes | No | |
| 2024 | Noah's Ark | No | No | Yes | |
| 2024 | I'm Still Here | Yes | No | No | |
Short Films
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Where Has the Time Gone? | Yes | No | No | Segment: "When the Earth Trembles" |
Television Work
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Japão: Uma Viagem No Tempo | Yes | No | 4 episodes |
| 1995 | Un Siécle d'Écrivains | Yes | No | Episode: "Jorge Armando" |
| 2019 | Irmãos Freitas | No | Yes | 8 episodes |
Documentaries
| Year | Title | Subject | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Krajcberg: O Poeta Dos Vestígios | Frans Krajcberg | |
| 1988 | Marisa Monte | Marisa Monte | Co-directed with Nelson Motta |
| 1989 | Chico, ou O País Da Delicadeza Perdida | Chico Buarque | Co-directed with Nelson Motta |
| 1995 | Antônio Carlos Jobim: An All-Star Tribute | Antônio Carlos Jobim | |
| 1999 | Somos Todos Filhos Da Terra | Adão Dãxalebaradã | Co-directed with Kátia Lund, João Moreira Salles and Daniela Thomas |
| 2002 | Castanha E Caju Contra O Encouraçado Titanic | Co-directed with Daniela Thomas and George Moura. | |
| 2013 | Venice 70: Future Reloaded  |
Venice Film Festival | Segment director |
| 2016 | Jia Zhang-ke by Walter Salles | Jia Zhangke |
Awards and Honors
In July 2022, the University of Reading gave Walter Salles an honorary degree. This means they recognized his great achievements in filmmaking.
See also
In Spanish: Walter Salles para niños
