José Bial

Known for

Directing

Birthplace

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Biography

José Bial is a Brazilian filmmaker from Rio de Janeiro whose work explores themes including masculinity, Brazilian whiteness, humor, love, and the country’s military dictatorship. He holds a degree in Film from PUC-Rio, and his work has been screened at festivals including the Cannes Film Festival, Festival do Rio, Beijing LiftOff Film Festival, and Festival da Fronteira.

His filmography includes Oma, about a 98-year-old Holocaust survivor living in Rio de Janeiro; Pequenos Traficantes Brancos (Small White Drug Dealers), about upper-class drug dealers in Rio; and Omar, a tribute to the HBO series The Wire, created for Festival Cena and artist PutodiParis.

His feature directorial debut is 8...