Manoel de Oliveira
Date of birth: 1908-12-11
Place of birth: Porto, Portugal
Known for: Directing
Also known as: Manoel Candido Pinto de Oliveira, Manuel de Oliveira, Мануэль де Оливейра, Мануэл Ди Оливейра
Biography
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.
Movie Credits
A Song of Lisbon
1933-11-07
Vasco is a medical student in Lisbon, supported by his rich aunts, whom he had falsely told he had a
A Friendly Handshake
1997-01-01
From the bridges of Porto to its estuary, two men are paying tribute to the elegant Douro River. Thr
Christopher Columbus, The Enigma
2007-09-06
A true story of a doctor and his wife who went on a journey in order to prove that discoverer Christ
Marcello Mastroianni: I Remember
1997-09-10
In 1996, Marcello Mastroianni talks about life as an actor. It's an anecdotal and philosophical memo
The Glory of Filmmaking in Portugal
2015-07-06
On 18 September 1929, José Régio sent a letter to Alberto Serpa expressing his desire to create a pr
Agostinho da Silva - A Living Thought
2003-01-01
Life and legacy of Agostinho da Silva. Traversing the biographical journey, the life and work of th
Fátima Milagrosa
1928-01-02
Aninhas (Aida Lupo), a paralyzed girl, asks for a miracle from the saint of her devotion, Our Lady o
The 15th Stone
2007-10-26
Joáo Bénard da Costa, director of the Portuguese National Film Archives [deceased in 2009], intervie
Oliveira, l'architecte
1993-10-06
Paulo Rocha catches up with his “beloved subject” in Porto, where he made Douro, Faina Fluvial in 19
Visit, or Memories and Confessions
2015-05-04
A long-hidden, personal doc about leaving a beloved house by the late, revered Portuguese director M
Guest
2011-03-25
Filmmaker José Luis Guerin documents his experience during a year of traveling as a guest of film fe
Nice - À propos de Jean Vigo
1983-01-01
Part of a series in which foreign filmmakers portray a region or town in France. Manoel de Oliveira
Voyage to the Beginning of the World
1997-05-16
Manoel is an aging film director who travels with the film crew through Portugal in search of the or
No, or the Vain Glory of Command
1990-10-12
Episodes from throughout the entire military history of Portugal are told through flashbacks as a co
The Conversation Is Over
1982-05-13
The film was to be a documentary, but evolved during production to a fictional film. It nevertheless
Porto of My Childhood
2001-09-19
Manoel de Oliveira's autobiographical documentary about returning to his hometown.
Inquietude
1998-05-19
An anthology film drama featuring a poetic mirror structure based on existential identity. In "The I
Lisbon Story
1994-12-16
Wim Wenders' homage to Lisbon and films. A sound engineer obtains a mysterious postcard from a frien
Manoel de Oliveira, O Caso Dele
2007-12-11
A tribute documentary to Manoel de Oliveira, on occasion of his 100th birthday.
Doomed Love
1979-11-25
A story about doomed love between two people from different worlds and the impact in their lives.
Jornal Português (1938-1951)
2005-12-12
The newsreel series Jornal Português (1938-1951) was produced for the Secretariat of National Propag
The Green Years
1963-11-29
Nineteen-year-old Julio heads to Lisbon from the provinces and gets a job as a shoemaker for his unc
No Tempo do Cinema
2006-05-21
A 58 minute documentary about the life of João Bénard da Costa.
Conversazione a Porto
2006-01-01
A conversation between the filmmaker Manoel de Olivieira and the writer Agustina Bessa-Luís.
Sem Cura - à saúde de Manoel de Oliveira
2011-01-01
Cinématon
1978-12-20
Cinématon is a 156-hour long experimental film by French director Gérard Courant. It was the longest
101
2012-07-06
An exploration of the movie "The strange case of Angelica" and an understanding Manoel de Oliveira's
Henri Langlois vu par...
2014-07-27
Thirteen filmmakers share personal reflections on Henri Langlois—the visionary founder of the Cinéma
Cinématon XI
1981-05-14
Reel 11 of Gérard Courant's on-going Cinematon series.
The Divine Comedy
1991-10-11
In a mental institution the patients see themselves as people like Jesus, Lázaro, Marta, Maria, Adão
Sodankylä Forever
2010-08-05
The Midnight Sun Film Festival is held every June in the Finnish village of Sodankylä beyond the arc
Agnès Varda: From Here to There
2011-10-01
Agnès Varda travels around the world to meet friends, artists and filmmakers for an expansive view o
Cinématon n°102 : Manoel de Oliveira
1981-05-14
Biette
2013-06-26
Documentary about the the film critic and filmmaker Jean-Claude Biette.
Cinéma Portugais – Un Mode d'Emploi
1990-01-01
The Life of Mirrors
2025-07-13
The Life of Mirrors is one of the sections of the exhibition Luis Miguel Cintra - Small Theatre of t