Bruno Barreto

The son of Brazilian film producers, precocious filmmaker Bruno Barreto made his directing debut with "Tati," Brazil's official entry at the 1973 Moscow Film Festival, and was only 22 when he scored an international hit with "Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands" (1977), a comedy of sexual manners starring Sonia Braga as a woman who entertains the affections of her deceased playboy husband, as well as those of her ho-hum living spouse. Adapted from the novel by Jorge Amado, it paired him for the first time with screenwriter Leopoldo Serran, with whom he would also co-write "Amor Bandido/Beloved Lover" (1979), enhancing his international reputation, and "Gabriela" (1983), adapted from another Amado novel and again starring Braga. Unfortunately, these films fell far short of the phenomenal success of "Dona Flor," which had outpaced "Jaws" (1975) on its Brazilian home grounds. Director Robert Mulligan later reworked the material for a pallid Americanized version, "Kiss Me Goodbye" (1983), with Sally Field starring opposite James Caan and Jeff Bridges.