Pedro Costa
Pedro Costa is a Portuguese film director. While studying history at University of Lisbon, Costa switched to film courses at Lisbon Theatre and Film School (Escola Superior de Teatro e Cinema) where he was a student of António Reis, Paulo Rocha and Alberto Seixas Santos. After working as an assistant director to several directors such as Jorge Silva Melo, Vítor Gonçalves and João Botelho, he made a first feature film O Sangue (The Blood) in 1989. He collected the France Culture Award (Foreign Cineaste of the Year) at 2002 Cannes Film Festival for directing the film In Vanda's Room. Colossal Youth was selected for the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and earned the Independent/Experimental prize (Los Angeles Film Critics Association) in 2008. He is considered to be part of "The School of Reis" film family. António Reis, Portuguese director, was his teacher at the Lisbon Theatre and Film School. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian called Pedro Costa "the Samuel Beckett of cinema". He is acclaimed for using his ascetic style to depict the marginalised people in desperate living situations. Many of his films are set in a district of Lisbon inhabited by socially disadvantaged and shot in a natural and low-key way in documentary format: some are docufictions.
Photos
Films (47)
Fire of Wind
2026 · Producer
Repetition in re-creation
2026 · Director of Photography
Where do you come from, Silence
2025 · Art Direction
Les Filles du feu
2023 · Director, Screenplay
Uncertain Path
2021
Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard
2021 · Sound Designer
Vitalina Varela
2019 · Director, Screenplay
Sacavém: The Films of Pedro Costa
2019 · Himself
Wiara
2018 · Self
How I Fell in Love with Eva Ras
2016 · Thanks
Horse Money
2014 · Director, Writer
Historic Centre
2012 · Director of Photography, Director, Screenplay
Sweet Exorcism
2012 · Director, Writer
Alto Cutelo
2012 · Director
Our Man
2010 · Director, Story
Change Nothing
2009 · Director, Cinematography
The 13 Roses
2007 · Producer, Story
The State of the World
2007 · Director, Director of Photography
The Rabbit Hunters
2007 · Director
Tarrafal
2007 · Director
Memories
2007 · Story, Director
Colossal Youth
2006 · Director, Cinematography, Writer
All Blossoms Again: Pedro Costa, Director
2006
Minino macho, Minino fêmea
2006 · Director
Change Nothing
2005 · Director
Where Does Your Hidden Smile Lie?
2003 · Director, Director of Photography
The End of a Love Affair
2003 · Director, Screenplay
6 Bagatelas
2001 · Director
Fragile as the World
2001 · Thanks
Cinéma, de notre temps: Danièle Huillet, Jean-Marie Straub - cinéastes
2001 · Director, Director of Photography
Dans la chambre de Vanda
2001 · Director, Director of Photography, Screenplay
Dialogues clandestins 2001
2001
9'8m/s²
1998 · Policía 1.
Ossos
1997 · Director, Screenplay
Casa de Lava
1995 · Director, Writer
Atlântida: Do Outro Lado do Espelho
1994 · Editor, Assistant Director
Blood
1989 · Director, Screenplay
Agosto
1988 · Assistant Director
Duma Vez Por Todas
1987 · Assistant Director
Letters to Julia
1987 · Director
A Girl in Summer
1986 · Assistant Director
Hovering Over the Water
1986 · Props
A Portuguese Farewell
1986 · Assistant Director
É Tudo Invenção Nossa
1984 · Director
Manel
1984 · Director
Finding the Criminal
Untitled Pedro Costa Musical Film
· Director
