FERNANDO MEIRELLES - Director
6/17/20261 hr 11 min
SEASON 2 - EPISODE 198 Fernando Meirelles - Director
In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with director Fernando Meirelles (THE TWO POPES, BLINDNESS, CITY OF GOD). Despite growing up with a filmmaking-loving father, it wasn't until Fernando graduated from architecture school, smuggled film equipment into Brazil, produced television and commercials through a video production company, and met cinematographer César Charlone (Season 2, Episode 174) that he finally directed his first feature. During our discussion of CITY OF GOD, we learn how he, the crew, and a cast of non-professional (and young) actors prepared for the shoot, and Fernando reveals how they strategized to capture the necessary footage while filming in a favela. We later learn how Fernando incorporates improvisation while working with actors during production, and, while reflecting on working with actors who like to plan far in advance, he shares a story from his time working with actor Anthony Hopkins on THE TWO POPES. Fernando later reveals why he planned to quit filmmaking after THE CONSTANT GARDNER and why BLINDNESS brought him back, and he shares what his biggest regret is.
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Recommended Viewing: CITY OF GOD
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsJames Deakins· Host0:00
[Instrumental music playing] Hi, and welcome to season two of the Team Deakins Podcast, a collection of informal conversations between Roger and James Deakins and a guest. We never know where the conversation will take us, so listen in and see where it goes. Today, we're speaking with a director. His credits include City of God, The Constant Gardener, Blindness, and The Two Popes. We're pleased to welcome Fernando Meirelles. Fernando, thank you for doing this.
Roger Deakins· Host0:36
Welcome. Nice to see you.
James Deakins· Host0:37
Yeah.
Fernando Meirelles· Guest0:37
Yeah. Thank you very much for having me here. Big fan.
Roger Deakins· Host0:40
Oh, great.
James Deakins· Host0:41
[laughs] Yeah.
Fernando Meirelles· Guest0:42
Great. Good.
James Deakins· Host0:42
We'd love to start with our first question, which is, how did you get to where you are today? Is this something that you always wanted to do as a child? Did you even think it was a possibility as a child, or did you find it later? Did you go down another path? What's your story?
Fernando Meirelles· Guest0:58
Well, I think, like everything in my life, it was not planned. It just happened. But anyway, my father was- [laughs] Yeah. [laughs] My father was a, a doctor. When he was in college, it was before getting married, he used to make little films with his friends, you know. Uh, he liked music and theater, and he would just, just like something fun. So he did some Westerns and suspense films in eight millimeters. And then when I was born- Wow ... he even shot one or two films with me and my sisters, and, uh, it was just for fun.