Oscar-winning Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio dies at 52 in Santiago

Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio, an Oscar winner, has died at the age of 52. The Guardian and AP both reported that his death was announced on Instagram. The announcement did not specify a cause of death.

Lelio died in Santiago, Chile. AP states this directly. The Guardian, citing Chilean media reports, said he died at his home in Las Condes, Santiago.

According to AP, his family announced his death on Friday and cited health reasons. According to the Guardian, his partner, Amalia Kassai, announced his death on Instagram.

His career

According to the Guardian, Lelio was born in Argentina and moved to Chile at the age of two. He studied journalism for one year before graduating from film school.

The Guardian reported that he released the 9/11 documentary Cero in 2003. His first narrative film, The Sacred Family, premiered at the San Sebastián film festival in 2005. His 2009 film Christmas premiered at Cannes. His 2013 film Gloria premiered at Berlin and won its lead, Paulina García, an acting award at the festival.

According to the Guardian, A Fantastic Woman, a 2017 drama about the life of a trans woman, became the first Chilean film to win the Oscar for best international feature.

His English-language debut was the London-set Disobedience, starring Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams, the Guardian reported. It was nominated for five British independent film awards. He also remade Gloria as Gloria Bell, set in America and starring Julianne Moore. He directed The Wonder, an adaptation of Emma Donoghue's novel starring Florence Pugh.

The Guardian said his final film was The Wave, a 2025 musical protest drama that premiered at Cannes.

What each side says

Kassai told followers, in Spanish, that it was a painful time for his family, according to the Guardian.

In a 2018 Guardian interview, Lelio linked A Fantastic Woman to political debate in Chile: "When we released it in 2017, a gender identity bill had been dormant in congress for seven years. Somehow, the film’s release, and the year in which it became globally known, helped to reactivate the discussion in Chile."

The Guardian also quoted him as saying: "Making a film is like a gift you leave somewhere – you then hide and see what happens."

What is not known

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not give the date or time of Lelio's death. They do not describe the health reasons AP says were cited, or say whether he had a known illness. They do not make clear whether the announcement AP attributes to the family is the same post the Guardian attributes to Kassai. They do not include any statement from Chilean officials, medical personnel or Lelio's representatives.

Analysis

Lelio's death is likely to draw renewed attention to his work, especially A Fantastic Woman, though the reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not describe any public response so far. His view that the film helped revive Chile's gender identity debate is his own assessment; the reports do not establish a causal link. AP and the Guardian both cite an Instagram announcement, but it is unclear whether they mean the same post, and details remain limited. Further information about the circumstances could emerge if his family or representatives choose to share it, or the cause may remain private.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.