SANTIAGO, Chile — Oscar-winning Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio, whose acclaimed drama “A Fantastic Woman” broke ground with its portrayal of a transgender woman, has died in Santiago, Chile, at 52.
His family announced his death Friday in an Instagram post, citing health reasons but not specifying the cause.
“His memory will remain forever among us,” the family said. “He was a beautiful person who contributed to Chilean culture in great moments of its history.”
Lelio won the 2018 Academy Award for foreign language film (now international film) for “A Fantastic Woman,” starring trans actor Daniela Vega as a waitress and nightclub singer whose life is torn by the death of her boyfriend.
It was Chile’s second Academy Award, following the animated short “Bear Story” in 2016.
Lelio’s other films include “Gloria,” “The Wave,” “The Wonder,” “Disobedience” and “The Year of the Tiger.” Throughout his career, he collaborated with Julianne Moore, Rachel Weisz and Florence Pugh.
He had begun filming “Poeta Chileno” (Chilean Poet) based on the book by Alejandro Zambra in September.
He was born in the Argentine city of Mendoza and moved to Chile at the age of 2. He studied journalism for a year before enrolling at the Chilean Film School.
OSCAR-winning filmmaker Sebastián Lelio, who directed the critically acclaimed A Fantastic Woman, has died aged 52.
The Chilean director passed away at his home in Santiago, Chile due to “health reasons”, said his partner, actress Amalia Kassai.
Oscar-winning filmmaker Sebastian Lelio has died aged 52Source: AFPThe beloved Chilean director was behind several groundbreaking filmsSource: AP
She reportedly called police after finding Lelio at his home in the city’s Las Condes district.
“We are going through a very painful time, and his memory will remain with us forever,” Amalia wrote in a touching tribute on Instagram.
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“He was a wonderful person who contributed to Chilean culture during important moments in its history.”
The statement, signed by the Lelio Kassai and Campos Watt families, continued: “As a family, we ask for respect for our privacy and consideration during these difficult times.”
Lelio’s 2017 film A Fantastic Woman starred Daniela Vega as a trans woman implicated in the accidental death of her older boyfriend.
The groundbreaking movie took home the Oscar for best foreign language film in 2018 and led to reforms for trans identification in Chile.
It also won the Independent Spirit Award for best international film.
Lelio also received critical acclaim for directing English language features such as The Wonder and Gloria Bell.
The latter was a remake of his earlier film Gloria, which took home numerous awards and was selected as Chile’s Oscar entry for best foreign feature.
It starred award-winning actress Paulina Garcia as a 58-year-old woman who starts dating a decade after getting divorced.
Lelio’s 2017 film Disobedience starred Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams and follows a woman who reunites with a childhood friend at an Orthodox community.
The late filmmaker was born in Argentina, before his family moved to Chile when he was two.
He launched his career in 2005 with La Sagrada Familia after directing several short films and music videos.
Lelio also directed two seasons of the documentary series Mi mundo privado (My private life), which earned two Emmy nominations.
His third film, The Year of the Tiger, was set in the aftermath of the catastrophic 2010 Chile earthquake and follows an escaped prisoner as he travels through the worst-affected regions of the country.
Lelio’s 2022 flick The Wonder was a critically acclaimed adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s novel The Wonder and starred Florence Pugh.
He told The Guardian: “I love working with actors, and need to know they trust me and can explore, get lost, be foolish or brave, and I’ll take care of them.
“I love working on set – it is where the sparkle is.”
His final film was 2025’s The Wave, a musical protest drama that premiered at Cannes.
“Making a film is like a gift you leave somewhere – you then hide and see what happens,” Lelio said.
