Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio dies at 52 

Filmmaker Sebastián Lelio, who directed Chile’s first Oscar-winning film, has died, the Herald confirmed with sources close to the director. 

According to Chilean media, 52-year-old Lelio was found dead on Friday at his home in the neighborhood of Las Condes, in Santiago de Chile. 

A family statement posted in social media said Lelio’s death was “due to health reasons.”

“We are going through a time of deep sorrow, and his memory will remain with us forever. He was a wonderful person who made significant contributions to Chilean culture at pivotal moments in its history,” the statement added. 

Born in Mendoza, Argentina, and raised in Chile, Lelio debuted in 2006 with “The Sacred Family.” His career made a jump to the global scene with “Gloria” (2013), starring Paulina García, who won the Silver Bear for best actress at the Berlin Film Festival. 

In 2017 he directed “A Fantastic Woman,” starring Daniela Vega. The film, a tale of discrimination and dignity about a trans woman struggling with her late lover’s family, became the first Chilean feature-length film to win an Oscar, in the best film in a foreign language category.

The Oscar catapulted Lelio to Hollywood, where he directed “Disobedience” (2017), with Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams; “Gloria Bell” (2018), a remake of his own film starring Julianne Moore; and “The Wonder” (2022), with Florence Pugh.

He was currently filming an adaptation of Alejandro Zambra’s novel “Chilean Poet” in Santiago.

Updated on Nov. 6, 3 p.m.