Born in Lisbon, he left his course of studies in History to attend classes taught by the poet and filmmaker António Reis at the Lisbon Film School. His first film O Sangue / Blood had its world premiere at the Mostra Cinematografica di Venezia, in 1989. Casa de Lava, his second feature, shot in Cabo Verde, screened in Cannes, 'Un Certain Regard', in 1994. His other feature films include In Vanda's Room and Where Does Your Hidden Smile Lie? on the work of Danièle Huillet and Jean-Marie Straub and Ne change rien, with Jeanne Balibar. Cavalo Dinheiro / Horse Money was awarded the Leopard for Best Direction at the Locarno Film Festival, in 2014, and Vitalina Varela received the Gold Leopard for Best Film as well as the Leopard for Best Actress, at the Locarno Film Festival, in 2019. His work has been presented in cinematheques and museums around the world.