Nara Normande is an award-winning Brazilian film director, screenwriter, and producer. She is best known for her work on the films “The Year My Parents Went on Vacation” (2006) and “Behind the Sun” (2001).
Normande was born in 1974 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She attended the University of Rio de Janeiro, where she studied film and graduated with a degree in communication in 1997. After graduation, she began working as a production assistant on several independent films and television series.
In 2001, Normande made her feature film debut with “Behind the Sun,” a drama about a family in rural Brazil. The film was a critical and commercial success, earning numerous awards and nominations, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.
In 2006, Normande released her second feature film, “The Year My Parents Went on Vacation.” The film follows a young Jewish boy in 1970s Rio de Janeiro as he attempts to find his place in the city’s changing landscape. The film was again met with critical acclaim and earned Normande another Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.
Since then, Normande has gone on to direct and produce several more films, including “VIPs” (2009), “Silent Voice” (2012), and “The Second Mother” (2015). She has also worked extensively in television, including directing episodes of the Brazilian drama series “City of Men” (2007-2013).
Normande’s work has earned her numerous awards and nominations, including several wins at the Brazilian Academy of Cinema Awards, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, and the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.
Normande is a fierce advocate for diversity in film and television, and her work often focuses on issues of identity and belonging. Through her films, she seeks to tell stories that challenge traditional narratives and offer a unique perspective on Brazilian culture.
