Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1946, he became a Brazilian citizen in 1970. He directed the films: King of the Night (1976), Lúcio Flávio (1977), winner of the Audience Prize at the 1st Mostra and re-exhibited at the 40th Mostra, Pixote (1981, 18th Mostra and 42nd Mostra), Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985, 9th Mostra), for which he was nominated for the Oscar for best director, Ironweed (1987), nominated for the Oscar for best actor and best actress, At Play in the Fields of the Lord (1991), Foolish Heart (1996), Carandiru (2003), The Past (2007, title that opened the 31st Mostra), The Man who Stole a Duck, an episode of the feature Words with Gods (2014, 38th Mostra), and My Hindu Friend (2015, chosen as the opening film of the 39th Mostra). He won the Leon Cakoff Prize at the 37th Mostra, in recognition of his career. Babenco died at the age of 70 in 2016.
