Comenius Project

Maria de Medeiros

by:Marta Serrano and Sara Oliveira

• Maria de Medeiros was born in 19th August 1965 and is a Portuguese actress, film director and singer who has been involved in both European and American film productions.

• Maria de Medeiros did her study drama in Paris where she was studying Philosophy. Her first appearance was in 1982, in a grecque play directed by Philippe Fridman. She continues to act in the stage till 1992, with a lot of theatre directors, mostly in France, but she was already starred in films.

• Her first movie performance was in the movie “Silvestre” in 1980.

• After that many she appeared in many other movies. “Três Irmãos” got her the award for best actress from the Venice and Cancun Festivals, in 1994, or “Adão e Eva” where she won a Portuguese Golden Globe in 1996.

• Later, she became internationally well-known due to the movies “Henry & June” and “Pulp Fiction”.

• Maria debuted as a director with the movie “Sévérine C.”, in 1987. After that she directed 6 more movies, one of which was “April Captains” filmed in 2000. It’s about the 1974 Carnation Revolution in Portugal. “The Captains of April” was presented at the Cannes Film Festival that same year.

• Maria de Medeiros is also a singer. In 2007 she released her first album named “A Little More Blue” in which she performs songs by Brazilian musicians and sings in Portuguese, French and English. In 2010 she released her second album “Penínsulas & Continentes” and in 2013, “Pássaros Eternos”.

• Being such a gifted woman her talent is often recognized. She was nominated for 15 awards from different countries and, in 2008, she was nominated for the UNESCO Artist for Peace.