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Sebastián Lelio, Oscar-Winning Director of 'A Fantastic Woman,' Dies at 52
Confirmed
In Short: Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio, known for his acclaimed film 'A Fantastic Woman,' has died at the age of 52 due to health reasons.
Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio, known for his acclaimed film 'A Fantastic Woman,' has died at the age of 52 due to health reasons.
Lelio was found dead at his home in Las Condes, Santiago, by his partner, Amalia Kassai, according to local media reports.
Born on March 8, 1974, in Mendoza, Argentina, Lelio made a significant impact on Chilean culture through his films.
The film, starring Daniela Vega as a transgender woman, also won the Independent Spirit Award for best international film.
Lelio's career included other notable works such as the 2022 mystery thriller 'The Wonder,' starring Florence Pugh, and 'Disobedience,' a romance between two Orthodox Jewish women.
Lelio's films often explored themes of identity, love, and social issues, earning him recognition and acclaim internationally.
Lelio's work also included 'The Wave,' a musical inspired by feminist mobilizations in Chile, and 'The Year of the Tiger,' among others.
Throughout his career, Lelio collaborated with renowned actors such as Julianne Moore, Rachel Weisz, and Florence Pugh.
Lelio's contributions to cinema and Chilean culture will be remembered forever.
What this adds
Lelio's death marks the end of a significant chapter in Chilean cinema, leaving behind a legacy of impactful and socially conscious films.
Background
A Fantastic Woman is a 2017 drama film directed by Sebastián Lelio, co-written with Gonzalo Maza. A co-production of Chile, Germany, Spain, and the United States, it stars Daniela Vega as Marina, a young trans woman living in Santiago alongside her partner Orlando.
What's confirmed
- It also won the Independent Spirit Award for best international film.
- His family confirmed the news in a social media post from Lelio’s partner Amalia Kassai, and local media in Chile reported that he was found dead at his home.
- Sebastián Lelio, the humanistic Chilean filmmaker whose trans drama “A Fantastic Woman” won the Best International Feature Film Oscar in 2018, has died at age 52.
- Sebastián Lelio, the Chilean filmmaker whose "A Fantastic Woman" made Academy Awards history and whose international career included collaborations with Julianne Moore, Rachel Weisz, and Florence Pugh, died Friday, Nov. 6, at 52.
- Lelio was found dead Friday by his partner, Amalia Kassai, at his home in the Las Condes section of Santiago, the Chilean news operation El Mercurio Online reported.
- “His memory will remain forever among us,” the family said.
What's still developing
- More recently, 2022's Florence Pugh starrer The Wonder — finding Lelio in a darker but no less soulful métier — offered audiences an existentially thought-provoking reckoning with faith and a potent illumination of both communal and familial sisterhood.
- The drama, about a woman in her late 50s who starts dating again, premiered at Berlin and won its lead star Paulina García an acting award at the festival.
- Then came “A Fantastic Woman” (2017), starring Daniela Vega as a trans woman fighting to keep her dignity after her partner's sudden death.