---
name: "Fernando Meirelles"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/fernando-meirelles"
fi1m_id: "fernando-meirelles"
imdb_id: "nm0576987"
tmdb_id: 8557
wikidata_id: "Q343293"
roles: ["Director","Producer"]
born: "9 November 1955"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 6
average_fi1m_score: 75
average_as: "director"
average_over: 5
updated: "2026-10-03T00:58:22.679701+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Fernando Meirelles

## Identity

Fernando Meirelles

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/fernando-meirelles
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** fernando-meirelles
- **IMDb ID:** nm0576987
- **TMDB ID:** 8557
- **Wikidata ID:** Q343293
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Meirelles, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q343293, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0576987/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/8557

Director and producer. Born 9 November 1955 in São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.

## Details

- **Work:** Director, Producer
- **Born:** 9 November 1955, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- **Active:** 2002–present
- **Also known as:** 페르난두 메이렐리스
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 6: 5 directing, 1 producing
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar nomination
- **Average Fi1m score:** 75, as director, over 5 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2000s 84 (2), 2010s 70 (2), 2020s 65 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 75 to 73 across 5 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 5, Mystery 2, Crime 1, History 1, Thriller 1, War & Politics 1
- **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $113m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Meirelles, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q343293, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0576987/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/8557

## Streaming the US now

- **Netflix:** [*The Two Popes*](https://film.one/film/the-two-popes.md) (75)
- **HBO Max:** [*The Sympathizer*](https://film.one/tv/the-sympathizer.md) (72)
- **Apple TV:** [*Sugar*](https://film.one/tv/sugar.md) (58)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Fernando Meirelles

> Fernando Meirelles makes crowded stories move quickly without losing the people in them. We rate him highly for *City of God*, though his eagerness to keep us watching can leave too little time for the suffering to register.

A chicken chase opens *City of God* (2002), and Fernando Meirelles makes a small pursuit feel dangerous before we have settled into our seats. Editor Daniel Rezende cuts at speed without losing the action, then brings the same clarity to a story moving backwards and forwards through time. This is gang warfare in a Rio favela across decades, with plenty of lives to keep track of. Meirelles makes it possible to notice how people behave rather than spend the next scene working out where they belong.

Kátia Lund co-directed the film, and its cast includes non-professional actors from favelas. Bráulio Mantovani's screenplay, adapted from Paulo Lins's novel, keeps those lives distinct without labouring over introductions. We were horrified by the armed children, because their youth remains so visible when they expect a street to obey them. Meirelles lets us see what they are learning about power without needing to explain it. His speed helps here: violence spreads before anyone has much time to question it.

The difficulty comes when he keeps the excitement going after violence has done its damage. In *City of God*, a flourish of cutting can arrive before the suffering has registered, and Mantovani's voiceover sometimes emphasises what the images have already made clear. We wanted him to stay with the people who had been hurt for a little longer. That impatience does not cancel the film's care for them, but it makes some of its violence too easy to enjoy.

The international turn brought *The Constant Gardener* (2005), his first major English-language feature, then *Blindness* (2008), adapted from José Saramago's novel. By *The Two Popes* (2019), the subjects included institutional power and personal faith, with Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce in the cast. He has repeatedly worked with cinematographer César Charlone, and favours handheld images and fragmented stories. Start with *City of God*, and leave time afterwards to argue about how much a crime film should entertain us.

## Biography

Fernando Meirelles is a Brazilian film director, producer and screenwriter. He was born on 9 November 1955 in São Paulo and studied architecture at the University of São Paulo.

Meirelles co-directed *City of God* (2002) with Kátia Lund. The film received international acclaim and earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Director. He later directed *The Constant Gardener* (2005), for which he received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Director; *Blindness* (2008); *360* (2011); and *The Two Popes* (2019).

He founded the production company O2 Filmes in the early 1990s. In television he has directed series including *Sugar* (2024) and *The Sympathizer* (2024).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (6)

### Directed (5) — the average rests on these

- *Sugar* (2024), Fi1m 58, Executive Producer, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/sugar.md)
- *The Sympathizer* (2024), Fi1m 72, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-sympathizer.md)
- *The Two Popes* (2019), Fi1m 75, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/the-two-popes.md)
- *The Constant Gardener* (2005), Fi1m 82, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/the-constant-gardener.md)
- *City of God* (2002), Fi1m 86, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/city-of-god.md)

### Produced (1)

- *Trash* (2014), Fi1m 64, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/trash.md)

## Complete filmography (80)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Beast Race* (2026), Director, Producer
- *From Nowhere: A Portrait of Valter Hugo Mãe* (2025), Producer
- *Rivers of Fate* (2025), series, Producer, Director
- *Children of the Church Steps* (2024), series, Executive Producer
- *City of God: The Fight Rages On* (2024), series, Producer
- *The Sympathizer* (2024), series, Director — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-sympathizer.md)
- *Sugar* (2024), series, Executive Producer, Director — Fi1m 58, [page](https://film.one/tv/sugar.md)
- *Barbaric Acts* (2023), Associate Producer
- *Slam* (2023), Associate Producer
- *Buscapé* (2022), Executive Producer
- *Eduardo and Monica* (2022), Associate Producer
- *7 Prisoners* (2021), Producer
- *Urubus* (2021), Executive Producer
- *The Meaning of Life* (2021), Producer
- *Ousmane* (2021), Executive Producer
- *Marighella* (2021), Associate Producer
- *The Great Green Wall* (2020), Producer
- *The Two Popes* (2019), Director — Fi1m 75, [page](https://film.one/film/the-two-popes.md)
- *Loop* (2019), Associate Producer
- *Passages: Travelling In and Out of Film Through Brazilian Geography* (2019), Actor
- *Joint Venture* (2019), series, Director
- *Socrates* (2018), Executive Producer
- *Liquid Truth* (2017), Associate Producer
- *492: A Man Called Death* (2017), Associate Producer
- *A Fera na Selva* (2017), Associate Producer
- *El Revenge* (2017), Producer
- *O Filho Eterno* (2016), Associate Producer
- *Exodus: Where I come from is disappearing* (2016), Producer
- *Rio 2016 Olympic Opening Ceremony: A New World* (2016), Director
- *Stronger Than The World* (2016), Associate Producer
- *Zoom* (2016), Executive Producer
- *Cosmos* (2015), Executive Producer, Director
- *The Wise Ones* (2015), series, Director
- *Happily Ever After?* (2015), series, Director, Producer
- *Trash* (2014), Executive Producer — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/trash.md)
- *Rio, I Love You* (2014), Director
- *The Water Law* (2014), Executive Producer
- *360* (2012), Director
- *Xingu* (2012), Producer
- *Xingu: A Saga dos Irmãos Villas-Boas* (2012), series, Creator
- *The Illusionist* (2011), series, Production Design
- *VIPs* (2011), Producer
- *Brasil Animado* (2011), Actor
- *José & Pilar* (2010), Producer
- *Sound & Fury: Film* (2010), Director, Writer, Producer
- *Waste Land* (2010), Executive Producer
- *Amanhecer* (2010), Director
- *Comercial* (2010), Actor
- *Adrift* (2009), Producer
- *Sound & Fury* (2009), series, Director, Producer, Creator
- *Blindness* (2008), Director
- *City of Men* (2007), Producer
- *Not by Chance* (2007), Producer
- *The Pope's Toilet* (2007), Producer
- *Antônia* (2007), Co-Producer
- *Antonia* (2006), series, Screenplay, Producer
- *The Year My Parents Went on Vacation* (2006), Co-Producer
- *The Constant Gardener* (2005), Director — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/the-constant-gardener.md)
- *Once Upon a Time There Was Iracema* (2005), Actor
- *Up Against Them All* (2004), Producer
- *City of Men* (2002), series, Writer, Director, Creator
- *City of God* (2002), Director — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/city-of-god.md)
- *Maids* (2001), Director, Screenplay
- *Palace II* (2000), Director
- *Cidade dos Homens Palace II* (2000), Roto Supervisor
- *Brava Gente* (2000), series, Director, Writer
- *E No Meio Passa Um Trem* (1998), Director
- *The Nutty Boy 2* (1998), Director
- *Evil Angel* (1997), series, Scenic Artist
- *A Comédia da Vida Privada* (1994), series, Director
- *Rá-Tim-Bum* (1990), series, Director
- *Olhar Eletrônico* (1986), Director
- *Amor com Amor Se Paga* (1984), series, Set Designer
- *Punk em São Paulo: Garotos do Subúrbio* (1983), Director
- *Brasília* (1983), Director
- *Marly Normal* (1983), Director
- *Here Comes the Flood*, Director, Producer
- *Elza: A Mulher do Fim do Mundo*, Producer
- *The Last of the Tribe*, Executive Producer
- *Art*, Director

## Gallery

- ![Fernando Meirelles](https://film.one/media/person/97567/gallery-801c02175627.jpg) Fernando Meirelles — File:Fernando Meirelles - Österreichpremiere 360 Wiener Volkstheater 01.jpg: Manfred Werner (Tsui)
derivative work: Minerva97, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Fernando_Meirelles_2012_%28cropped%29.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Director Fernando Meirelles and presenter Ernst A. Grandits at the Austrian premiere of the movie 360 (Volkstheater in Vienna) (2012)](https://film.one/media/person/97567/gallery-9d1890919178.jpg) Director Fernando Meirelles and presenter Ernst A. Grandits at the Austrian premiere of the movie 360 (Volkstheater in Vienna) (2012) — Manfred Werner (Tsui), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/52/Fernando_Meirelles%2C_Ernst_A._Grandits_-_%C3%96sterreichpremiere_360_Wiener_Volkstheater_01.jpg/1280px-Fernando_Meirelles%2C_Ernst_A._Grandits_-_%C3%96sterreichpremiere_360_Wiener_Volkstheater_01.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Director Fernando Meirelles and presenter Ernst A. Grandits at the Austrian premiere of the movie 360 (Volkstheater in Vienna) (2012)](https://film.one/media/person/97567/gallery-651bc1a8ae69.jpg) Director Fernando Meirelles and presenter Ernst A. Grandits at the Austrian premiere of the movie 360 (Volkstheater in Vienna) (2012) — Manfred Werner (Tsui), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/Fernando_Meirelles%2C_Ernst_A._Grandits_-_%C3%96sterreichpremiere_360_Wiener_Volkstheater_02.jpg/1280px-Fernando_Meirelles%2C_Ernst_A._Grandits_-_%C3%96sterreichpremiere_360_Wiener_Volkstheater_02.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Director Fernando Meirelles and presenter Ernst A. Grandits at the Austrian premiere of the movie 360 (Volkstheater in Vienna) (2012)](https://film.one/media/person/97567/gallery-2f10fc787565.jpg) Director Fernando Meirelles and presenter Ernst A. Grandits at the Austrian premiere of the movie 360 (Volkstheater in Vienna) (2012) — Manfred Werner (Tsui), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Fernando_Meirelles%2C_Ernst_A._Grandits_-_%C3%96sterreichpremiere_360_Wiener_Volkstheater_03.jpg/1280px-Fernando_Meirelles%2C_Ernst_A._Grandits_-_%C3%96sterreichpremiere_360_Wiener_Volkstheater_03.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Fernando Meirelles](https://film.one/media/person/97567/gallery-fcfdadafed8a.jpg) Fernando Meirelles — Image via TMDB
- ![Fernando Meirelles](https://film.one/media/person/97567/gallery-ce1830cc7fb4.jpg) Fernando Meirelles — Image via TMDB
- ![São Paulo, Brazil. June 2012 <a href="http://fiveprime.org/blackmagic" rel="noreferrer nofollow">B l a c k M a g i c</a>](https://film.one/media/person/97567/gallery-10d21fb31607.jpg) São Paulo, Brazil. June 2012 <a href="http://fiveprime.org/blackmagic" rel="noreferrer nofollow">B l a c k M a g i c</a> — Carlos Ebert from São Paulo, BrazilGRU, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0b/Fernando_Meirelles_-_Movie_Director_%287403459378%29.jpg/1280px-Fernando_Meirelles_-_Movie_Director_%287403459378%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Director Fernando Meirelles at the Austrian premiere of the movie 360 (Volkstheater in Vienna) (2012)](https://film.one/media/person/97567/gallery-1e37535d76e9.jpg) Director Fernando Meirelles at the Austrian premiere of the movie 360 (Volkstheater in Vienna) (2012) — Manfred Werner (Tsui), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Fernando_Meirelles_-_%C3%96sterreichpremiere_360_Wiener_Volkstheater_01.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 2004: Best Director (nominated), for *City of God*

### Other awards — 2 won, 2 nominated

- Commander of the Order of Cultural Merit (Brazil) 2016: Commander of the Order of Cultural Merit (Brazil) (won)
- Officer of the Order of Rio Branco 2006: Officer of the Order of Rio Branco (won)
- European Film Award for Best Non-European Film 2005: European Film Award for Best Non-European Film (nominated), for *The Constant Gardener*
- European Film Award for Best Non-European Film 2002: European Film Award for Best Non-European Film (nominated), for *City of God*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/fernando-meirelles