Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio, director of “A Fantastic Woman,” has died at 52, according to Variety and the Buenos Aires Herald. The Herald reported that it confirmed his death with sources close to the director.
Variety’s Pat Saperstein reported that Lelio died Nov. 6 at his home in Santiago. The report quoted his partner, actress Amalia Kassai, describing his death in an Instagram statement as “due to health reasons.” Variety did not report a more specific cause.
“We are going through a very painful time, and his memory will remain with us forever,” Kassai wrote, as quoted by Variety.
The films behind his international career
Lelio was born in Mendoza, Argentina, and raised in Chile. He made his debut with “The Sacred Family” in 2006, then directed “Gloria” in 2013. Its star, Paulina García, won the Silver Bear for best actress at the Berlin Film Festival, the Buenos Aires Herald reported.
His 2017 film “A Fantastic Woman,” starring Daniela Vega, follows a trans woman confronting discrimination from her late lover’s family. It became the first Chilean feature-length film to win an Oscar, according to the Herald. Variety noted that it won best foreign language film in 2018.
Lelio also directed the 2017 English-language film “Disobedience,” starring Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams. He revisited “Gloria” with “Gloria Bell,” an English-language remake starring Julianne Moore and John Turturro, Variety reported. His later films included “The Wonder” in 2022, starring Florence Pugh, according to the .
