On February 2, 2014, he was stabbed to death by his son, who was diagnosed as schizophrenic. The son also tried to kill his mother and himself later on, but failed.
He began his career during the Cinema Novo movement in the 1960s, and transitioned to TV in the 1970s.
He was considered one of Brazil's greatest documentary film directors.
One of the 276 people invited to join AMPAS in 2013.