Manoel de Oliveira
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.
The Green Years
as uncreditedNineteen-year-old Julio heads to Lisbon from the provinces and gets a job as a shoemaker for his...
Movie pageLisbon Story
as HimselfLisbon Story is Wim Wenders' homage to Lisbon and films. A sound engineer obtains a mysterious...
Movie pageCinématon
as N°102Cinématon is a 156-hour long experimental film by French director Gérard Courant. It was the...
Movie pageThe Divine Comedy
as uncreditedIn a mental institution the patients see themselves as people like Jesus, Lázaro, Marta, Maria,...
Movie pageChristopher Columbus, The Enigma
as Manuel Luciano (2007)A true story of a doctor and his wife who went on a journey in order to prove that discoverer...
Movie pageNo, or the Vain Glory of Command
as NarratorEpisodes from entire military history of Portugal are told through flashbacks as a professorish...
Movie pageThe Glory of Filmmaking in Portugal
as HimselfOn 18 September 1929, José Régio sent a letter to Alberto Serpa expressing his desire to create...
Movie pageVisit, or Memories and Confessions
as SelfA long-hidden, personal doc about leaving a beloved house by the late, revered Portuguese...
Movie pageMarcello Mastroianni: I Remember
as SelfIn 1996, Marcello Mastroianni talks about life as an actor. It's an anecdotal and philosophical...
Movie pageHenri Langlois vu par...
as SelfThirteen filmmakers talk about Henri Langlois and their relationship with him.
Movie pageVoyage to the Beginning of the World
as DriverManoel is an aging film director who travels with the film crew through Portugal in search of...
Movie pageAnxiety
as Tango DancerAn anthology film drama featuring a poetic mirror structure based on existential identity. In...
Movie pageA Song of Lisbon
as CarlosVasco is a medical student in Lisbon, supported by his rich aunts, whom he had falsely told he...
Movie pageBiette
as SelfDocumentary about the the film critic and filmmaker Jean-Claude Biette.
Movie page101
as uncreditedAn exploration of the movie "The strange case of Angelica" and an understanding Manoel de...
Movie pageDoomed Love
as Narrator (voice)A story about doomed love between two people from different worlds and the impact in their lives.
Movie pageThe Conversation Is Over
as PadreThe film was to be a documentary, but evolved during production to a fictional film. It...
Movie pageAgostinho da Silva - A Living Thought
as SelfLife and legacy of Agostinho da Silva. Traversing the biographical journey, the life and work...
Movie pagePorto of My Childhood
as Himself / Narrator / The ThiefManoel de Oliveira's autobiographical documentary about returning to his hometown.
Movie pageAgnès Varda: From Here to There
as SelfAgnès Varda travels around the world to meet friends, artists and filmmakers for an expansive...
Movie pageThe 15th Stone
as HimselfJoáo Bénard da Costa, director of the Portuguese National Film Archives [deceased in 2009],...
Movie pageJornal Português (1938-1951)
as Self (archive footage)The newsreel series Jornal Português (1938-1951) was produced for the Secretariat of National...
Movie pageGuest
as SelfFilmmaker José Luis Guerin documents his experience during a year of traveling as a guest of...
Movie pageNo Tempo do Cinema
as HimselfA 58 minute documentary about the life of João Bénard da Costa.
Movie pageNice - À propos de Jean Vigo
as uncreditedPart of a series in which foreign filmmakers portray a region or town in France. Manoel de...
Movie pageConversazione a Porto
as uncreditedA conversation between the filmmaker Manoel de Olivieira and the writer Agustina Bessa-Luís.
Movie pageOliveira, l'architecte
as uncreditedPaulo Rocha catches up with his “beloved subject” in Porto, where he made Douro, Faina Fluvial...
Movie pageSodankylä Forever
as SelfThe Midnight Sun Film Festival is held every June in the Finnish village of Sodankylä beyond the...
Movie pageFátima Milagrosa
as uncreditedAninhas (Aida Lupo), a paralyzed girl, asks for a miracle from the saint of her devotion, Our...
Movie pageManoel de Oliveira, O Caso Dele
as HimselfA tribute documentary to Manoel de Oliveira, on occasion of his 100th birthday.
Movie pageA Friendly Handshake
as uncreditedFrom the bridges of Porto to its estuary, two men are paying tribute to the elegant Douro River....
Movie pageDoomed Love
as (voice)A story about doomed love between two people from different worlds and the impact in their...
TV Show pageAgnès Varda: From Here to There
as HimselfAgnès Varda takes us on a journey of discovery as she travels the globe—from Stockholm to St....
TV Show pageAgnès Varda: From Here to There
as uncreditedAgnès Varda takes us on a journey of discovery as she travels the globe—from Stockholm to St....
TV Show page