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An Introduction
The success of Salles’ films outside of Brazil is due to his unique combination of regional landscapes, atmospheres and faces with narratives of universal appeal, along with a filmic sensitivity of international standard. However these are also things held against him. Critics label films like Central Station as “cosmetics of hunger”, with the accusation that Salles and other contemporary directors are using the arid north-eastern region of Brazil, only to produce folkloric mass spectacles. -
Birth
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Salles came from a wealthy family – his father was a banker and diplomat in various countries. -
Attends Pontificia Universidad Católica at Rio de Janeiro
Majors in Economics -
Attends University of Southern California school of Cinematic Arts
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Exposure (A Grande Arte)
Salles's first work of fiction, moving him out of the documentary genre. -
Plano Real
Brings economic stability to Brazil. Ends the rampant inflation plaguing the economy. This in turn stabilizes the film industry. -
Terra Estrangeria
English Title is Foreign Land -
Founded the Mário Peixoto Archive
In 1996, Walter Salles founded the Mário Peixoto Archive, located within his company, videofilmes, in Rio de Janeiro. Here, an immense collection of manuscripts, scenarios, correspondence, audio tapes, photographic material and published works by and about Peixoto are being taken care of. -
Central Station
Salles's breakout film examining the conflict and dichotomy of good and evil within human beings. Inspired by his 1996 documentary 'Life Somewhere Else'.
Central Station is story of a woman helping a lost boy find his father in the countryside. It became a metaphor for a country in search of national strength.
The film was shot in a neo-realistic fashion and it portrayed the rehibilitation and growth within Brazil's economy as well as it's film industry. -
Behind the Sun
Original title Abril Despedaçado means Shattered April, and it is based on the novel of the same name and is about the honor culture in the North of Albania as well as issues of loyalty and tradition. It went on to win a BAFTA and a Golden Globe and was featured at the Venice Film Festival, winning the Little Golden Lion award. Salles includes several direct references to Mario Peixoto's work in this movie. -
The Morotcycle Diaries - Salles' personal views
Filming the Diaries signified an overwhelming experience of solidarity for Salles that profoundly changed his way of working, which had been a detailed, planned process.This allowed intuition, improvisation and concomitant drafting of the script and accomplishment of the filming, bringing together all the participants in this project.Salles therefore understands his film as an expression of an artistic-political attitude developed in a cooperative workstyle and not a result of outside imposition -
The Motorcycle Diaries
http://focusfeatures.com/video/the_motorcycle_diaries_trailerSalles biggest international success. The film is a biopic about the journey and written memoir of the 23-year-old Ernesto Guevara, who would several years later become internationally known as the iconic Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara. The film was also an international co-production among production companies from Argentina, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Chile, Peru and France. -
Dark Water
Salles first English-language feature film, which is also his first Hollywood film, Dark Water was a horror/thriller adaptation of the 2002 Japanese film of the same name, showing his diversity as a director. -
Paris Je T'aime
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSZOGywlhzEOne of the 21 directors who directed this ensamble film, set in Paris amd comments on the plurality of cinema. Shows the global demand of his work. -
Linha de Passe
Linha de Passe is a co-directed production from Salles and Daniela Thomas. The film tells the story of four poverty-striken brothers all from different fathers who each experience new deceptions and expectations while the family fights to survive.
The film was features at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival where Sandra Corveloni won the award for Best Actress. Salles and Thomas were also nominated Palme d'Or. -
On the Road
Salles is currently directing a film adapion of the best-selling book On the Road. In preparation for the film, Salles traveled the United States, tracing the author, John Kerouac's journey and filming a documentary on the search for On the Road.
