Pedro Costa
Born: 1958-12-30 in Lisbon, Portugal
Known For: Directing
Biography
Pedro Costa is a Portuguese film director. While studying history at University of Lisbon, Costa switched to film courses at Lisbon Theatre and Film School (Escola Superior de Teatro e Cinema) where he was a student of António Reis, Paulo Rocha and Alberto Seixas Santos. After working as an assistant director to several directors such as Jorge Silva Melo, Vítor Gonçalves and João Botelho, he made a first feature film O Sangue (The Blood) in 1989. He collected the France Culture Award (Foreign Cineaste of the Year) at 2002 Cannes Film Festival for directing the film In Vanda's Room. Colossal Youth was selected for the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and earned the Independent/Experimental prize (Los Angeles Film Critics Association) in 2008. He is considered to be part of "The School of Reis" film family. António Reis, Portuguese director, was his teacher at the Lisbon Theatre and Film School. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian called Pedro Costa "the Samuel Beckett of cinema". He is acclaimed for using his ascetic style to depict the marginalised people in desperate living situations. Many of his films are set in a district of Lisbon inhabited by socially disadvantaged and shot in a natural and low-key way in documentary format: some are docufictions.
Filmography
2025
- Fire of Wind ... (Producer)
- Where do you come from, Silence ... (Art Direction)
2023
- The Daughters of Fire ... (Director)
2021
- Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard ... (Sound Designer)
- Uncertain Path
2019
- Vitalina Varela ... (Director)
- Sacavém: The Films of Pedro Costa as Himself
2018
- Wiara as Himself
2016
- How I Fell in Love with Eva Ras ... (Thanks)
2014
- Horse Money ... (Director)
2012
- Historic Centre ... (Director of Photography)
- Sweet Exorcist ... (Director)
- Alto Cutelo ... (Director)
2010
- Our Man ... (Director)
2009
- Change Nothing ... (Director)
2007
- Memories ... (Story)
- The State of the World ... (Director)
- The 13 Roses ... (Producer)
- Tarrafal ... (Director)
- The Rabbit Hunters ... (Director)
2006
- Colossal Youth ... (Director)
- Minino macho, Minino fêmea ... (Director)
- All Blossoms Again: Pedro Costa, Director
2005
- Change Nothing ... (Director)
2003
- The End of a Love Affair ... (Director)
- Where Does Your Hidden Smile Lie? ... (Director)
2001
- Cinéma, de notre temps: Danièle Huillet, Jean-Marie Straub - cinéastes ... (Director)
- In Vanda's Room ... (Director)
- História do Cinema Português
- 6 Bagatelas ... (Director)
- Dialogues clandestins 2001
1998
- 9'8m/s² as Policía 1.
1997
- Ossos ... (Director)
1995
- Casa de Lava ... (Director)
1994
- Atlântida: Do Outro Lado do Espelho ... (Editor)
1989
- Blood ... (Director)
1988
- Agosto ... (Assistant Director)
1986
- Hovering Over the Water ... (Props)
- A Girl in Summer ... (Assistant Director)
- A Portuguese Farewell ... (Assistant Director)
1984
- É Tudo Invenção Nossa ... (Director)