Marcelo Gomes

Marcelo Gomes is a renowned Brazilian film director whose career has been defined by a deep engagement with the social realities of contemporary Brazil. Born in 1963 in Salvador, Bahia, Gomes pursued his passion for storytelling at the Federal University of Bahia before refining his cinematic language at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he earned a Master’s degree in film. His early works, such as the documentary O Saci (1994), already displayed a keen eye for the everyday lives of marginalised communities, blending observational realism with poetic visual metaphors. In 1999 he co‑founded the production company Mira Filmes, which became a platform for independent Brazilian voices and allowed him greater creative control over his projects. The breakthrough came with his feature debut Saneamento Básico (2007), a satirical yet tender portrait of a small-town sanitation worker whose personal aspirations mirror broader national struggles. The film earned critical acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival and solidified Gomes’ reputation as a filmmaker capable of merging humor with incisive social commentary. Following this success, he directed The Man Who Went To Work (2011) and The Edge of the World (2015), both of which continued his exploration of identity, migration, and the often‑overlooked narratives of Brazil’s working class. Gomes’ cinematic style is characterised by long takes, natural lighting, and an understated sound design that immerses viewers in the ambient texture of each setting. Beyond directing, he frequently writes his own screenplays and serves as a producer, mentoring emerging talent through workshops and film festivals across Latin America. As of the present, Marcelo Gomes remains an influential figure in the New Brazilian Wave, continually pushing the boundaries of socially conscious cinema while advocating for greater representation within the global film community.