Nelson Pereira dos Santos

Nelson Pereira dos Santos was a Brazilian filmmaker whose socially engaged work helped lay the groundwork for Cinema Novo. His films Rio, 40 Graus and Vidas Secas brought urban poverty, rural hardship, and Brazilian social realities to the screen, while later works such as Memórias do Cárcere adapted major Brazilian literature. He also worked as a screenwriter, editor, and producer, and became the first filmmaker elected to the Academia Brasileira de Letras in 2006.