Kleber Mendonça Filho

Kleber Mendonça Filho was a Brazilian filmmaker whose 2016 drama, "Aquarius," was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Born and raised in the Brazilian city of Recife, Filho initially intended on becoming a journalist and film critic. He attended Brazil's Federal University of Pernambuco, where he studied journalism, and before long was writing film reviews for several newspapers and magazines in his native country. By the 1990s, however, Filho started making his own short films, including "Enjaulado" (1997), "A Menina do Algodão" (2002), and "Vinil Verde" (2004). In addition to directing the films, Filho also wrote and produced each project, while also editing them. Thus, unlike most directors who usually stay behind the camera, Filho had a vast experience working in all facets of the filmmaking process. By the early 2010s FIlho had directed several short films, which ranged from dramatic fiction to documentaries With his filmmaking experience continuing to grow, Filho ventured into the world of feature filmmaking in 2012 with "Neighbouring Sounds." The film, about the lives of several Brazilians living in an apartment building, was a critical hit, while also winning several awards at numerous international film festivals. With his filmmaking career on the rise, Filho's follow-up feature, "Aquarius" (2016), was equally well-praised. The film, about an aging Brazilian woman coming to terms with her past, was nominated for the prestigious Palme d'Or at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, thus further cementing Filho's already growing status as one of the most respected international filmmakers of his generation.