Born in Lisbon, he left his course of studies in History to attend classes taught by the poet and filmmaker António Reis at the
Lisbon Film School.
His first film Blood / O Sangue had its world premiere at the Mostra di Venezia in 1989. Casa de Lava, his second feature, shot in
Cabo Verde, was screened at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival in the 'Un Certain Regard' strand. Both those works are available on
Second Run DVD.
His other feature films include Ossos, In Vanda's Room and Where Does Your Hidden Smile Lie?, on the work of Danièle Huillet and
Jean-Marie Straub, Colossal Youth and Ne change rien with Jeanne Balibar.
He directed a segment of the omnibus feature Centro Histórico, with Manoel de Oliveira,
Aki Kaurismäki and Víctor Erice.
Cavalo Dinheiro / Horse Money was awarded the Golden Leopard for Best Direction at the Locarno Film Festival, in 2014. His latest work Vitalina Varela won the Locarno prizes for Best Film and Best Actress in 2019.
His work has been presented at festivals, in cinematheques and museums around the world.
Filmography
1987 - CARTAS A JULIA, short
1989 - BLOOD / O SANGUE
1994 - CASA DE LAVA
1997 - BONES /OSSOS
2000 - IN VANDA'S ROOM / NO QUARTO DA VANDA
2001 - DANIÈLE HUILLET, JEAN-MARIE STRAUB, CINÉASTES, episode of the collection CINÉASTES, DE NOTRE TEMPS
2002 - WHERE DOES YOUR HIDDEN SMILE LIE? / ONDE JAZ O TEU SORRISO? / OÙ GÎT VOTRE SOURIRE ENFOUI?
2003 - 6 BAGATELAS, short
2006 - COLOSSAL YOUTH / JUVENTUDE EM MARCHA
2007 - TARRAFAL, short in THE STATE OF THE WORLD / O ESTADO DO MUNDO
2007 - THE RABBIT HUNTERS, short in MEMORIES, JEONJU DIGITAL PROJECT
2009 - NE CHANGE RIEN
2010 - O NOSSO HOMEM / OUR MAN, short
2012 - SWEET EXORCIST, short in CENTRO HISTORICO
2014 - HORSE MONEY / CAVALO DINHEIRO
2019 - VITALINA VARELA