He was born in Brazil to a Portuguese father and a French mother. After obtaining a Master in Philosophy at the Sorbonne, he began working in Lisbon as a journalist and later as a producer and film director. His films, which include both documentaries and fiction, have received international awards and been screened in over 50 countries. His latest fiction, A Noiva (The Bride), which portrays a young widow of the Jihad, premiered in the Orizzonti Competition at the Venice Film Festival 2022 and won the New Waves Special Prize at the Seville Film Festival. His filmography includes titles such as Outro País (1999), Fleurette (2002), Lisboetas (2005), The City of the Dead (2009), Viagem a Portugal (2011), Alentejo, Alentejo (2014), Treblinka (2016), Raiva (2018), Paraíso (2021), and A Noiva (2022).