Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), 1955

By Luiz Felipe Alves de Miranda

A member of a family linked to cinema: his parents, Lucy and Luiz Carlos Barreto, are producers, and his brother Fábio is a director.

He adapted several literary works, starting with the small production Tati, a garota (1973), based on the text by Aníbal Machado. With A estrela sobe (1974), based on the novel by Marques Rebelo, he created a period film. He achieved great success with both the audience and critics with Dona Flor e seus dois maridos (1976), adapted from the novel by Jorge Amado. He directed the police drama Amor bandido (1979), based on his own idea. He filmed a new adaptation of Nelson Rodrigues’ play O beijo no asfalto (1984) and another novel by Jorge Amado, Gabriela, cravo e canela (1983), which was his first American film, and directed the romantic dramas Além da paixão (1986) and O romance da empregada (1988). He directed a new American film, the political drama Assassinato sob duas bandeiras (1990). He made for American television the telefilm Heart of Justice (1993).

Embarking definitively on an international career, he alternated the making of foreign and national films. He directed, in the United States, the romantic drama Atos de amor (1995) and, in Brazil, adapted the best-seller by Fernando Gabeira, O que é isso, companheiro? (1997). In the United States, he made the police drama One Tough Cop (1998). He adapted the short story Senhorita Simpson by Sérgio Sant’Anna into the romantic film Bossa-Nova (2000). Following that, he ventured into comedies: Voando alto (2003), O casamento de Romeu e Julieta (2005), and Caixa Dois (2007). He returned to drama with Última parada 174 (2008) and Flores raras (2013), about the romance between American poet Elizabeth Bishop and Brazilian architect Lota de Macedo Soares. In 2013, he directed the comedy Cro: o filme.