World's oldest filmmaker dies aged 106

[David]

The Portuguese director Manoel de Oliveira died yesterday at the age of 106. Incredibly, he was still making films right up until his death—I saw his second-last one, Gebo and the Shadow, at the Melbourne International Film Festival a couple of years ago.

http://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/postscript-manoel-de-oliveira

He made his first film in 1931, just before sound cinema reached Portugal, and made his last film, which is still yet to be released here, in 2014. I think it's my dream to live that long and to still be producing art until the end.

Here's a trailer from one of de Oliveira's recent films:

http://youtu.be/GVwnpN8HRA4

here's one he made in the early '40s:

http://youtu.be/Yk1-hs5QePA

and here he is doing a dance back in his younger days (when he was 99):

http://youtu.be/NDFDpXITOoA

[swoop42]

I wonder how many replies this thread will get?

Damn it I've gone and supplied one.

Hands up who knows who in the hell David is talking about?

Be honest.

[Pies4shaw]

^^^ I don't know this man's work. But my ignorance doesn't mean that the topic isn't an important one. As I understood it, David was making a point about the longevity of de Olivera's creative output, rather than his place in the pantheon of great filmmakers, still less his celebrity.

Artistic endeavour and achievement isn't a popularity contest. I know a little about music and it is fair to say that most of the figures that are (or, increasingly, were) important to me are far from being household names. It doesn't, in my opinion, make any person's contributions any less important that you don't know who they are.

[David]

Thanks P4S, and good analogy. The fact is, I hardly know any of the musicians who are given tribute threads here, but that's my failing; reading about them and listening to them play is an opportunity to learn something.

And, as noted above, it's no small feat to still be following one's artistic passions in triple figures and managing to make acclaimed films that are shown around the world. Hell, if I can do anything at that age I'd be happy.