Petra Costa

Born: 1983-07-08

Petra Costa is a Brazilian filmmaker and actress. She first directed the short film Undertow Eyes (2009) which screened at the MoMA and was winner of best short film at Rio Film Festival, Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, London International Documentary Festival among others. She then directed the feature Elena (2012) which premiered at IDFA, followed by SXSW and HotDocs. Elena won many prizes such as best film at Havana Film Festival (2013), was nominated for Best Cinematography at the 2014 Cinema Eye Honors and was the most watched documentary in Brazil in 2013. In 2013 Petra was one of the 20 recipients of a grant given by CPH:DOX in Denmark. From this grant Petra and her Danish co-director Lea Glob developed a feature film, currently in postproduction, with the working title Olmo and the Seagull. The film is being produced by Zentropa, Som & Furia and Busca Vida Filmes. Petra completed her undergraduate studies Summa Cum Laude in Anthropology at Barnard College, Columbia University, New York. She did her Masters in Health, Community and Development at the London School of Economics, London. She has lived in Brazil for most of her life.


Placeholder

The Edge of Democracy

as Self
Released: 2019-01-24

A cautionary tale for these times of democracy in crisis—the personal and political fuse to...

Movie page

Elena

as Self
Released: 2013-04-11

Petra heads to New York in search of her older sister after a long time of being separated. They...

Movie page

Nobody's Watching

as Petra
Released: 2017-05-18

Nico is a famous actor in Argentina, but in New York, nobody takes notice. He needs to juggle...

Movie page

Life in Gray

as Herself
Released: 2017-10-08

A faux documentary about the ongoing social, political and economical crisis in Brazil, where...

Movie page

The Edge of Theocracy

as Petra Costa
Released: 2020-12-10

Jesus life and work goes through rumors, conspiracies, injuries, friendship and fanaticism. An...

Movie page