- Born
- Birth nameFernando Ferreira Meirelles
- Height5′ 9¼″ (1.76 m)
- Fernando Meirelles was born in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. He studied architecture at the University of São Paulo. At the same time, he developed an interest in filmmaking. With a group of friends he started producing experimental videos and video art. They won a huge number of awards in Brazilian video festivals. After that, the group formed a small independent company called "Olhar Eletrônico". After working in independent television during nine years in the eighties, Meirelles gravitated towards publicity and commercials for Brazilian television. In the early 90s, together with Paulo Morelli and Andrea Barata Ribeiro, he founded the "O2 Filmes" production company which became the biggest production company in Brazil, working from development until distribution, including complete post-production facilities. In 1997 he read the Brazilian best-seller "City of God", written by Paulo Lins, and decided to turn it into a movie despite an the intimidating story that involves more than 350 characters. Once the the screenplay was ready, Meirelles gathered a crew mixed with professional technicians and inexperienced actors chosen between the youngsters living in the slums surrounding Rio de Janeiro. The film was a huge success in Brazil attracted attention around the world after it was screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2002. For his work in the film, Meirelles was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director. Since then, Meirelles has split his time between film and TV series. He also directed "The Constant Gardner" (2005), which received four Academy nominations. Also "Blindness" (2008), "The Two Popes" (2019). He also directed several series for TV Globo and HBO in Brazil like "Pico da Neblina" (2019). In addition, Meirelles was one of the directors of the 2016 Olympic ceremony in Rio de Janeiro.- IMDb mini biography by: Enrique Bocanegra enrique_bocanegra@hotmail.com
- SpouseCiça Meirelles(1983 - present) (2 children)
- ChildrenCarolina Meirelles
- Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson are among his favorite directors.
- He was one of the creative directors for the opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
- Directed 3 actors in Oscar nominated performances: Rachel Weisz, Jonathan Pryce, and Anthony Hopkins. Weisz won for her performance in The Constant Gardener (2005).
- Owns a cemetery in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Has a son, director Quico Meirelles, and a daughter named Carolina Meirelles.
- I've always been very independent, I've always produced my own things; I don't know how to share. A big studio invests a lot of money, and they want control. I'm not prepared for that yet.
- Harvey Weinstein liked "City of God" from the beginning. He didn't want to change anything. When the film's release was done, he called me to say, "This film deserves more than it got, and we're going to spend money and do a campaign, and we're gonna get nominations." From the business side, it was a bad experience, but I would do it again. I don't think I signed a good contract. I didn't really believe in the film. It was a low-budget Brazilian film in Portuguese -- what can a film like this do? Harvey liked the film more than I did. They paid exactly what was on the contract.
- I'm going to do some big film at some point but not now. My ideal career would be to do what Pedro Almodovar does (in Spain). I'd like to make Brazilian films for international audiences that are not big-budget. This would be the best.
- This is the part that I like most, in the process, is to edit and try to find the story. Sometimes you think you have a film, and then you change something and it becomes different. It's a wonderful job. Because it surprises you.
- I never stop working on a film. I can't help myself.
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