“I love you in this life and in all the lives to come,” actress Amalia Kassai wrote on Instagram following the death of Oscar-winning director Sebastián Lelio.
Lelio, best known for directing the 2017 Chilean drama “A Fantastic Woman,” died at the age of 52. The filmmaker was found dead at his home in the Las Condes district of Santiago, Chile, around noon on Friday by his partner, Kassai, according to the Chilean news platform Emol.
Health Complications Cited in Instagram Statement
Kassai announced the death “with great sadness” in a statement shared on her Instagram account, noting that the director had passed away “following health complications.” The exact cause of Lelio’s death was not immediately known.
“We are going through a time of profound grief, and his memory will remain with us forever,” the statement continued. “He was a wonderful person who made significant contributions to Chilean culture at important moments in its history.” The message concluded with a request for privacy and consideration, signed by the Lelio-Kassai family and the Campos-Watt family.
Director Wins Academy Award for Acclaimed Film
Lelio earned international acclaim in March 2018 when “A Fantastic Woman” won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards. That victory marked the second of only two Academy Awards won by Chile, following the country’s 2016 win for Best Animated Short Film with “Bear Story.”
Sebastián Lelio has sadly passed away. He will go down in history as the director of the first Chilean film to win the Oscar for Best International Feature Film with ‘A FANTASTIC WOMAN’ He went on to direct acclaimed films starring Florence Pugh, Julianne Moore, Rachel Weisz… pic.twitter.com/gxqTWRXcPW
Beyond his Oscar-winning work, Lelio directed “The Year of the Tiger,” “Gloria,” “Disobedience,” “The Wonder,” “The Wave,” and “Gloria Bell.” Throughout his career, he collaborated with prominent actresses including Julianne Moore, Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams, and Florence Pugh.
Active Projects at the Time of Death
At the time of his death, Lelio was actively working on multiple film projects. He was filming an adaptation of Alejandro Zambra’s novel “Chilean Poet,” and he was in pre-production on “Voyagers,” which is slated to star Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones.
Kassai shared a series of photographs and videos of the pair together over the years in a tribute following the announcement. “He illuminated everything and everything around him,” she wrote, adding that he was an important figure to many people.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sebastián Lelio
What film won Sebastián Lelio an Academy Award?
Lelio won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards in March 2018 for the Chilean drama “A Fantastic Woman.”
Where was Sebastián Lelio found?
According to the Chilean news platform Emol, Lelio was found dead at his house in the Las Condes district of Santiago, Chile, by his partner, Amalia Kassai.
What projects was Lelio directing before his death?
He was filming an adaptation of Alejandro Zambra’s novel “Chilean Poet” and was in pre-production on “Voyagers,” starring Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones.
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