Oscar-Winning Director Sebastian Lelio Dies at 52, Leaving Film Unfinished

Chilean Oscar-winning director Sebastian Lelio has died, leaving the shoot of a film incomplete. He breathed his last at his home in Santiago, the capital of Chile, on Friday (November 6), aged 52. At the time of his death he was busy working on his tenth feature film.

His partner, actress Amalia Kassai, announced his death on the social media platform Instagram.

The family said he died due to health reasons. The specific cause of death was not disclosed. At the same time, the family requested respect for their privacy during this time of grief.

Sebastian Lelio was born in 1974 in the city of Mendoza, Argentina. He moved to Chile with his family at the age of two. He later studied film at the Chilean Film School. He began his career as a director with the film ‘La Sagrada Familia’ in 2005.

He gained international recognition with the film ‘Gloria’, released in 2013. Actress Paulina Garcia won the Best Actress award at the Berlin Film Festival for the film.

But his biggest career success came with ‘A Fantastic Woman’. In the film, released in 2017, Daniela Vega played a transgender woman. It tells the story of her facing opposition from her lover’s family and society after his death. In 2018 the film won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. The award brought Lelio special recognition in the international film world.

He went on to find success in English-language cinema as well. His notable films include ‘Disobedience’, ‘Gloria Bell’ and ‘The Wonder’. Actresses such as Rachel Weisz, Julianne Moore and Florence Pugh starred in these films.

Lelio was especially known for his portrayal of women characters and for giving importance to the lives of marginalised people. His style explored personal relationships, social reality and various aspects of human crisis.

Before his death, he was shooting ‘Chilean Poet’, based on a novel by Alejandro Zambra. Produced by Fabula, the film was to be his tenth feature. His sudden death has left the work unfinished.

Chile’s Ministry of Culture said a tribute ceremony will be held at the Cineteca Nacional of the La Moneda Cultural Centre to pay final respects to Sebastian Lelio. His death has cast a shadow of mourning over the Chilean film world.