Héctor Babenco

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Héctor Eduardo Babenco (born February 7, 1946 in Buenos Aires but raised in Mar del Plata) is a critically acclaimed Argentine born and Brazilian naturalised film director, screenwriter, film producer and actor.^[1]

He works in many countries including Argentina and the United States.

1 Biography
2 Filmography
3 Television
4 Awards
5 Footnotes
6 Exterior links

[edit] Biography

Babenco lived in Europe from 1964-1968. In 1969 he decided to stay in São Paulo, Brazil permanently. In 1975 he directed his first feature film, King of the Night.

His break out film was Pixote - A lei do mais fraco (1981) about Brazil's abandoned children. Due to the impressive work of young actor Fernando Ramos da Silva (10 years old at the time), who was discovered in the suburbs of São Paulo, the film was a worldwide success and received numerous international prizes.

In 1994 he fell ill and had to undergo a bone marrow transplant to cure a lymphatic cancer.^[2]

He has directed some of the best American actors in cinema, including: William Hurt, Raul Julia, Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, Tom Berenger, Daryl Hannah, Aidan Quinn, Kathy Bates, and others.

[edit] Filmography

Director and producer

O Fabuloso Fittipaldi (1973)
O rei da noite (1975) aka King of the Night
Lúcio Flávio, o passageiro da agonia (1977) aka Lucio Flacio, Passenger of Agony
Pixote - A lei do mais fraco (1980) aka Pixote - The Survival of the Weakest
A Terra é Redonda Como uma Laranja (1984)
Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985) (director only)
Ironweed (1987) (director only)
Brincando nos campos do Senhor (1990) aka At Play in the Fields of the Lord (director only)
Corazón iluminado (1996) aka Foolish Heart
Carandiru (2003)
El Pasada (2007)

Acting

The Venice Project (1999)
Before Night Falls (2000)

[edit] Television

"Carandiru, Outras Histórias" (2005) TV Series (producer)

[edit] Awards

Wins

São Paulo International Film Festival: Audience Award; Best Feature for: Lúcio Flávio, o Passageiro da Agonia; 1977.
Donostia-San Sebastián International Film Festival: OCIC Award - Honorable Mention, for: Pixote: A Lei do Mais Fraco; 1981.
Locarno International Film Festival: Silver Leopard; for: Pixote: A Lei do Mais Fraco; 1981.
Tokyo International Film Festival: Special Jury Distinguished Award for: Kiss of the Spider Woman; 1985.
Havana Film Festival: Audience Award; Glauber Rocha Award; House of the Americas Award; OCIC Award; Radio Havana Award; Saúl Yelín Award; Special Jury Prize; for: Carandiru; 2003.
Cartagena Film Festival, Colombia: Golden India Catalina; Best Film, for: Carandiru; 2004.
Cinema Brazil: Cinema Brazil Grand Prize; Best Adapted Screenplay, for: Carandiru. Shared with: Fernando Bonassi and Victor Navas; Best Director for: Carandiru; 2004.
Gramado Film Festival: Eduardo Abelin Trophy; 2005.

Nominations

Academy Awards: Oscar; Best Director, for: Kiss of the Spider Woman; 1986.
Cannes Film Festival: 1985 Golden Palm, for: Kiss of the Spider Woman; 1998 Golden Palm, for: Corazón iluminado; 2003 Golden Palm; for: Carandiru.