Manoel de Oliveira
Directing
Born December 11, 1908 in Porto, Portugal
Manoel de Oliveira was born in Porto, Portugal on December 11, 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, titledDouro, Faina Fluvial (1931). He also acted in the second Portuguese sound film, A Canção de Lisboa (1933). 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. 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, a work that marked a turning point in Oliveira's conception of the cinema. 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. Oliveira has said that he 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 Montreal film festivals. He has been awarded two Career Golden Lions in 1985 and 2004 and a golden palm for his lifetime achievements in 2008.
Filmography
The Life of Mirrors
Jornal Português (1938-1951)
Self (archive footage)
The Glory of Filmmaking in Portugal
Himself
A Century of Energy
Visit, or Memories and Confessions
Self
The Old Man of Belem
Chafariz das Virtudes
Henri Langlois vu par...
Self
Biette
Self
Invisible World
Historic Centre
The Conquered Conqueror
Gebo and the Shadow
101
Agnès Varda: From Here to There
Self
Agnès Varda: From Here to There
Self
Hitler in Hollywood
Guest
Self
The Strange Case of Angelica
The Panels of São Vicente de Fora: A Poetic Vision
Eccentricities of a Blonde-Haired Girl
Romance de Vila do Conde
Manoel de Oliveira, O Caso Dele
Himself
To Each His Own Cinema
The 15th Stone
Himself
Christopher Columbus, The Enigma
Manuel Luciano (2007)
Belle Toujours
O Improvável Não é Impossível
(voice)
No Tempo do Cinema
Himself
Magic Mirror
Conversazione a Porto
Do Visível ao Invísivel
The Fifth Empire
A Talking Picture
Agostinho da Silva - A Living Thought
Self
The Uncertainty Principle
Porto of My Childhood
Himself / Narrator / The Thief
I’m Going Home
História do Cinema Português
Word and Utopia
The Letter
Inquietude
Tango Dancer
Marcello Mastroianni: I Remember
Self
Voyage to the Beginning of the World
Driver
A Friendly Handshake
Party
The Convent
Lisbon Story
Himself
Blind Man's Bluff
Zona+
Próprio
Oliveira, l'architecte
Abraham's Valley
Day of Despair
The Divine Comedy
No, or the Vain Glory of Command
Narrator
The Cannibals
Já Está
Self
My Case
Simpósio Internacional de Escultura em Pedra
The Satin Slipper
Gentleman bowing with hat
Lisboa Cultural
Nice - À propos de Jean Vigo
The Conversation Is Over
Padre
Francisca
Cinématon n°102 : Manoel de Oliveira
Doomed Love
Narrator (voice)
Cinématon
N°102
Doomed Love
(voice)
Benilde or the Virgin Mother
Screaming Madman (voice)
Past and Present
As Pinturas do Meu Irmão Júlio
Villa Verdinho - Uma Aldeia Transmontana
The Hunt
The Green Years
Acto da Primavera
Bread
The Artist and the City
Aniki-Bóbó
Famalicão
Miramar, Praia das Rosas
Portugal Já Faz Automóveis
Os Últimos Temporais - Cheias do Tejo
A Song of Lisbon
Carlos
Lisbon statues
White Coal
Working on the Douro River
Fátima Milagrosa