This one is shocking. Sebastián Lelio — the Chilean filmmaker behind “Gloria” and the Oscar-winning “A Fantastic Woman,” and one of the most vital voices in Latin American cinema this century — has died at just 52.
Lelio was found at his home in the Las Condes commune of Santiago on Friday. According to Emol, his partner, actress Amalia Kassai, found him around midday and contacted the police.
His family said in a statement that he died "for health reasons," adding: "We are going through a moment of great pain and his memory will remain forever among us. He was a beautiful person who contributed to Chilean culture in great moments of his history." No further details have been released.
He was mid-project. Lelio was in the middle of shooting his tenth feature, “Chilean Poet,” his adaptation of Alejandro Zambra's novel. The film is produced by the Larraín brothers' Fábula, with Amazon/MGM Studios among its international partners.
Lelio’s breakthrough was “Gloria” (2013), which won Paulina García the Silver Bear for Best Actress at Berlin. Then came “A Fantastic Woman” (2017), starring Daniela Vega as a trans woman fighting to keep her dignity after her partner's sudden death. It won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2018 — the first ever for Chile.
Hollywood came calling, and Lelio answered with “Disobedience,” starring Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams (that sex scene featuring spit is probably the film’s most famous image). Then came “Gloria Bell” with Julianne Moore and John Turturro — which was a wonderful remake of “Gloria.” Finally, “The Wonder” (2022) with Florence Pugh for Netflix. In 2025 he premiered “The Wave” at Cannes, a bold musical inspired by the 2018 feminist uprisings at Chilean universities.
Lelio was young. His passing has come out of nowhere. This is absolutely tragic.
Um, what? Bruno Dumont, one of the most uncompromising filmmakers alive, has made his next feature, "The End," entirely with generative AI.