Nelson Pereira dos Santos
Nelson Pereira dos Santos (1928–2018) was a Brazilian director and a founding figure of Cinema Novo. Trained as a lawyer and politically active in the Brazilian Communist Party in his youth, he turned to filmmaking in the 1950s with neorealist-influenced features set in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro and the arid sertão. His later work continued to engage with Brazilian history, identity, and popular culture. His acclaimed films include Rio, 40 Degrees, Rio, Northern Zone, Vidas Secas, Hunger for Love, How Tasty Was My Little Frenchman, and Memoirs of Prison.