Chilean Director Sebastián Lelio, Oscar‑Winning Filmmaker, Dies at 52

Chilean film director Sebastián Lelio died at the age of 52, according to The Guardian’s culture coverage. Lelio was internationally recognised for directing the Oscar‑winning drama A Fantastic Woman, which earned the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film in 2018.

Lelio’s career included a range of films that explored personal and social themes. His 2013 Chilean drama Gloria, starring Paulina García, was later remade for English‑language audiences in 2018 as Gloria Bell with Julianne Moore in the lead role. Both versions examined the life of a divorced woman navigating relationships and personal freedom.

In addition to his work in Chile, Lelio directed several English‑language projects. Disobedience (2017) featured Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams in a story set in a conservative Jewish community in London. The Wonder (2022), an adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s novel, starred Florence Pugh as a nurse investigating a purported miracle in rural 19th‑century Ireland.

Lelio’s filmography also includes the 2022 literary adaptation The Wonder and earlier contributions to the New Chilean Cinema movement, alongside directors such as Pablo Larraín and Patricio Guzmán. His films were noted for blending intimate character studies with broader cultural contexts, earning critical acclaim across multiple markets.