Manoel de Oliveira


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Manoel de Oliveira

Manoel de Oliveira, July 3, 2008, Paris, Cinémathèque Française
Born December 12, 1908 (1908-12-12) (age 99)
Porto, Portugal
Occupation film director
Years active 1931 - present

Manoel Cândido Pinto de Oliveira, GCSE (pronounced [mɐnuˈɛɫ doliˈvɐjɾɐ]) (born December 12, 1908) is a Portuguese film director born in Cedofeita, Porto. He is frequently cited as the oldest active film director in the world[1].

Contents

Biography

Manoel de Oliveira was born in Porto, Portugal on December 12, 1908, to Francisco José de Oliveira and Cândida Ferreira Pinto. His family were wealthy industrialists.

Oliveira attended school in Galicia, Spain and his goal as a teenager was to become an actor. He enrolled in Italian film-maker Rino Lupo's acting school at age 20, but later changed his mind when he saw Walther Ruttmann's documentary Berlin: Symphony of a City. This prompted him to direct his first film, also a documentary, titled Douro, faina fluvial (1931).

He also has the distinction of having acted in the second Portuguese sound film, A Canção de Lisboa (1933).

Directing career

His first feature film came much later, in 1942. Aniki-Bóbó, a portrait of Oporto's street children, was a commercial failure when it opened, and its merit only came to be recognised over time[citation needed]. This drawback forced Oliveira to abandon other film projects he was involved in, and to dedicate himself to running his family vineyard. He re-emerged onto the film scene in 1956 with The Artist and the City.

In 1963, O Acto de Primavera (The Rite of Spring), a documentary depicting an annual passion play, marked a turning point for his career. This was shortly followed by A caça (The Hunt), a grim feature film that contrasted with the happy tones of his previous documentary. Despite the widespread acclaim garnered by both films, he would not return to the director's seat until the 1970s. Since 1990 (when he turned 82), he has made at least one film each year. His most recent film, Christopher Columbus - the Enigma, was shot partly in New York and completed in 2007; it is currently touring the United States.

Oliveira claims to direct movies for the sheer pleasure of doing it, regardless of critical reaction. He maintains a quiet life away from the spotlights, despite multiple honours such as those of the Cannes, Venice and Montréal film festivals. He has been awarded two Career Golden Lions in 1985 and 2004 and a golden palm for his lifetime achievements in 2008.

Personal life

Oliveira married Maria Isabel Brandão de Meneses de Almeida Carvalhais in Porto on December 4, 1940. They have two children: Manuel Casimiro Brandão Carvalhais de Oliveira (born 1941) and Adelaide Maria Brandão Carvalhais de Oliveira (born 1948). He has several grandchildren via his daughter Adelaide.

Filmography

  • Douro, Faina Fluvial (documentary, 1931)
  • Estátuas de Lisboa (documentary, 1932)
  • Os Últimos Temporais: Cheias do Tejo (documentary, 1937)
  • Miramar, Praia das Rosas (documentary, 1938)
  • Já se fabricam automóveis em Portugal (documentary, 1938)
  • Famalicão (documentary, 1941)
  • Aniki-Bóbó (1942)
  • O Pintor e a Cidade (documentary, 1956)
  • O Coração (documentary, 1958)
  • O Pão (documentary, 1959)
  • Acto de Primavera (1963)
  • A Caça (1963)
  • Villa Verdinho: Uma Aldeia Transmontana (documentary, 1964)
  • As Pinturas do Meu Irmão Júlio (documentary, 1965)
  • O Passado e o Presente (1971)
  • Benilde ou a Virgem Mãe (1974)
  • Amor de Perdição (1978)
  • Francisca (1981)
  • Visita ou Memórias e Confissões (1982)
  • Lisboa Cultural (documentary, 1983)
  • Nice... À Propos de Jean Vigo (documentary, 1983)
  • Le Soulier de Satin (1985)
  • Mon Cas (1987)
  • A Propósito da Bandeira Nacional (1987)
  • Os Canibais (1988)
  • Non, ou A Vã Glória de Mandar (1990)
  • A Divina Comédia (1991)
  • O Dia do Desespero (1992)
  • Vale Abraão (1993)
  • A Caixa (1994)
  • O Convento (1995)
  • Party (1996)
  • Viagem ao Princípio do Mundo (1997)
  • Inquietude (1998)
  • La Lettre (1999)
  • Palavra e Utopia (2000)
  • Je Rentre à la Maison (2001)
  • Porto da Minha Infância (2001)
  • O Princípio da Incerteza (2002)
  • Momento (2002)
  • Um Filme Falado (2003)
  • O Quinto Império: Ontem Como Hoje (2004)
  • Espelho Mágico (2005)
  • Do Visível ao Invisível (2005)
  • Belle Toujours (2006)
  • O Improvável não é Impossível (2006)
  • Cristóvão Colombo - O Enigma (2007)

Honors and decorations

In 2008, Manoel de Oliveira was awarded a doctorate degree honoris causa by the University of the Algarve.[2] He had also been awarded the Order of St. James of the Sword by the President of Portugal. In addition, he has received multiple honours such as those of the Cannes, Venice and Montréal film festivals. He has been awarded two Career Golden Lions in 1985 and 2004 and a Golden Palm for his lifetime achievements in 2008.

References

  1. ^ Manoel de Oliveira - Movies - New York Times
  2. ^ Manoel de Oliveira na Universidade do Algarve

External links

Persondata
NAME Oliveira, Manoel de
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION film director
DATE OF BIRTH 1908-12-12
PLACE OF BIRTH Porto, Portugal
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH






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