Photo: Adam Chitayat / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Salles is, to me, one of cinema's great quiet humanists. Central Station and The Motorcycle Diaries share a gift for shrinking the distance between strangers, finding tenderness in journeys rather than spectacle. That he returned with the acclaimed I'm Still Here decades later proves his eye hasn't dulled with age. There's a Rio-bred warmth in how he frames people, and his past as a racing driver hints at a restless, observant spirit. I value directors who trust silence and faces over noise, and Salles does exactly that. He remains, in my view, the conscience of Brazilian filmmaking.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Walter Salles
- Name (Japanese)
- ウォルター・サレス
- Reading
- うぉるたー・されす
- Born
- April 12, 1956 (age 70)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Monkey
- Origin
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- screenwriter / film director / film producer / racing automobile driver / director
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- University of Southern California
Awards & achievements
- Order of Cultural Merit (Brazil)
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Central Station | — | |
| Notable work | The Motorcycle Diaries | — | |
| Notable work | I'm Still Here | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Walter Salles born?
Born April 12, 1956 (age 70).
Where is Walter Salles from?
Walter Salles is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
What does Walter Salles do?
Walter Salles works as screenwriter, film director, film producer, racing automobile driver, director.
What is Walter Salles known for?
Notable works include Central Station, The Motorcycle Diaries, I'm Still Here.
Screenwriter — see all → · Film director — see all → · More people from Brazil →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.