
Directing
Born December 11, 1908 · Porto, Portugal
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.

A Century of Energy
2015

Visit, or Memories and Confessions
2015

The Old Man of Belem
2014

Chafariz das Virtudes
2014

Invisible World
2013

Historic Centre
2012

The Conquered Conqueror
2012

Gebo and the Shadow
2012

The Strange Case of Angelica
2010

The Panels of São Vicente de Fora: A Poetic Vision
2010

Eccentricities of a Blonde-Haired Girl
2009
O Poeta Doido, o Vitral e a Santa Morta
2008

Romance de Vila do Conde
2008

To Each His Own Cinema
2007

Christopher Columbus, The Enigma
2007

Belle Toujours
2006

O Improvável Não é Impossível
2006

Magic Mirror
2006

Do Visível ao Invísivel
2005

The Fifth Empire
2004

A Talking Picture
2003

The Uncertainty Principle
2002
Moment
2002

Porto of My Childhood
2001

I’m Going Home
2001

Word and Utopia
2000

The Letter
1999

Inquietude
1998

Voyage to the Beginning of the World
1997

A Friendly Handshake
1997

Party
1996

The Convent
1995

Blind Man's Bluff
1994

Abraham's Valley
1993

Day of Despair
1992

The Divine Comedy
1991

No, or the Vain Glory of Command
1990
A Propósito da Bandeira Nacional
1988

The Cannibals
1988

My Case
1986

Simpósio Internacional de Escultura em Pedra
1986

The Satin Slipper
1986

Lisboa Cultural
1984

Nice - À propos de Jean Vigo
1983

Francisca
1981

Doomed Love
1979

Benilde or the Virgin Mother
1975

Past and Present
1972

As Pinturas do Meu Irmão Júlio
1965

Villa Verdinho - Uma Aldeia Transmontana
1964

The Hunt
1964

Acto da Primavera
1963

Bread
1959

The Artist and the City
1956

Aniki-Bóbó
1942

Famalicão
1941

Miramar, Praia das Rosas
1938

Portugal Já Faz Automóveis
1938

Os Últimos Temporais - Cheias do Tejo
1937

Lisbon statues
1932

White Coal
1932

Working on the Douro River
1931

The Life of Mirrors
2025

Jornal Português (1938-1951)
2015

The Glory of Filmmaking in Portugal
2015

Visit, or Memories and Confessions
2015

Henri Langlois vu par...
2014

Biette
2013

101
2012

Agnès Varda: From Here to There
2011

Guest
2011
Sem Cura - à saúde de Manoel de Oliveira
2011

Sodankylä Forever
2010

Manoel de Oliveira, O Caso Dele
2007

The 15th Stone
2007

Christopher Columbus, The Enigma
2007

O Improvável Não é Impossível
2006

No Tempo do Cinema
2006

Conversazione a Porto
2006

A Talking Picture
2003

Agostinho da Silva - A Living Thought
2003

Porto of My Childhood
2001

Inquietude
1998

Marcello Mastroianni: I Remember
1997

Voyage to the Beginning of the World
1997

A Friendly Handshake
1997

Lisbon Story
1994

Oliveira, l'architecte
1993

The Divine Comedy
1991

No, or the Vain Glory of Command
1990