about

Bárbara Paz is a Brazilian director, visual artist, actress, and producer. In cinema, she directed Babenco: Tell Me When I Die (2019), which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival and won the award for Best Documentary in the Venice Classics category in 2019, among many other international festivals. The film was also Brazil’s official selection to represent the country in the Best International Feature Film category at the 93rd Oscars. In 2021, she directed the short film Act, which won the Grande Otelo award for Best Fiction Short Film at the Grande Prêmio do Cinema Brasileiro.

As an actress, she has performed in more than 25 theatrical productions, starring in works ranging from Oscar Wilde to Tennessee Williams. She has played leading roles in numerous films, including My Hindu Friend, Hector Babenco’s last film, alongside Willem Dafoe.

On television, Bárbara has appeared in various series and soap operas, and hosted the show A Arte do Encontro for four years on Canal Brasil, where she interviewed prominent figures from the Brazilian artistic scene. In 2025 she was awarded the Knight Medal of the Ministry of Culture, an Honor for Cultural Merit. As a visual artist, she presents the exhibition Self-Accusation in various galleries worldwide. She is currently finalizing her next documentary, Rua Pescador nº 6, a film about the largest climate catastrophe that occurred in May 2024 in southern Brazil. In 2024, she was also part of the official jury at the Venice Film Festival for the “Luigi De Laurentiis” Award for a Debut Film.

Awards

WINNER - LION BEST DOCUMENTARY ABOUT CINEMA (VENICE CLASSICS) - 76 VENICE INTERNATIONAL CINEMA FESTIVAL

BRAZILIAN CINEMA GRAND PRIZE 2020 FOR BABENCO SOMEONE HAS TO LISTEN TO THEIR HEART AND SAY; STOPPED !

GREAT OTHELLO OF THE BEST DOCUMENTARY FOR BABENCO SOMEONE HAS TO LISTEN TO THEIR HEART AND SAY; STOPPED !

GREAT OTHELLO OF THE BEST FIRST DIRECTION FOR BABENCO SOMEONE HAS TO LISTEN TO THEIR HEART AND SAY; STOPPED !

GREAT OTHELLO BEST SETTING FOR BABENCO SOMEONE HAS TO LISTEN TO THEIR HEART AND SAY; STOPPED !

2019 WINNER OF THE BISATO D'ORO AWARD - BEST DOCUMENTARY. BY THE INDEPENDENT CRITIC OF THE VENICE FESTIVAL 2019.

BEST DOCUMENTARY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL MUMBAI MIFF 2020 (INDIA)

BEST LATIN AMERICAN FEATURE FILM DOCUMENTARY - FICVIÍNA 2020 (CHILE)

SPECIAL MENTION 4TH WEST LAKE INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL (CHINA)

BEST DOCUMENTARY - GZDOC (CHINA)BEST DOCUMENTARY

SESC BEST FILMS 2021 - (AWARDED BY THE PUBLIC AND CRITICS)

BRAZILIAN CINEMA GRAND PRIZE 2022

GREAT OTHELLO FOR BEST SHORT FILM (FICTION) ACT - DIRECTED BY BÁRBARA PAZ

GRAMADO FILM FESTIVAL

BEST ACTRESS – SHORT AND MEDIUM FILM IN 16MM DISPOSABLE PRODUCT FILM, 2006

VITÓRIA CINEMA FESTIVAL - MANUAL FILM TO RUN DOG OVER

BEST ACTRESS IN A SHORT FILM

2011 QUEM THEATER AWARD BEST ACTRESS IN A THEATER PLAY - HELL PLAY

2009 BEST OF THE YEAR NOMINATED BEST NEW ACTRESS - LIVING LIFE

2010 CONTIGO AWARD! OF TV NOMINATED BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - LIVING LIFE

2010 BRAZIL ART QUALITY AWARD NOMINATED BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - LIVING LIFE

2014 WHO TELEVISION AWARD NOMINATED BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - LOVE OF LIFE

2014 SHELL AWARD NOMINATED BEST ACTRESS - PLAY VENUS IN VISOM

2014 APTR THEATER AWARD NOMINATED BEST LEADING ACTRESS - PLAY VENUS IN VISOM

2016 BRAZIL ART QUALITY AWARD NOMINATED BEST ACTRESS - DRAMA - HOT PLAY ON A HOT ZINC ROOF

2016 APCA AWARD NOMINATED BEST THEATER ACTRESS - CAT PLAY ON A HOT ZINC ROOF

2019 CAIRO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

NOMINATED INTERNATIONAL PANORAMA- BABENCO- SOMEONE HAS TO LISTEN TO HEART AND SAY: STOPPED

2019 RIO FESTIVAL NOMINATED BEST DOCUMENTARY- BABENCO- SOMEONE HAS TO LISTEN TO HEART AND SAY: STOPPED

2019 SÃO PAULO INTERNATIONAL CINEMA SHOW NOMINATED BABENCO SPECIAL SHOW- SOMEONE HAS TO LISTEN TO THE HEART AND SAY: STOP

2020 BUENOS AIRES INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL NOMINATED FOCUS CINE- BABENCO- SOMEONE HAS TO LISTEN TO THE HEART AND SAY: IT STOPPED

2020 CALGARY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL NOMINATED BEST INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY BABENCO- DOES ANYONE HAVE WHAT TO LISTEN TO THE HEART AND SAY: IT STOPPED

2020 FESTIN LISBOA BABENCO BEST FILM NOMINATED- SOMEONE HAS TO LISTEN TO THE HEART AND SAY: IT STOPPED

2020 GUANGZHOU INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL NOMINATED BEST BABENCO DOCUMENTARY DIRECTION - SOMEONE HAS TO LISTEN TO THE HEART AND SAY: IT STOPPED

2020 JEONJU FILM FESTIVAL NOMINATED BEST FILM (PUBLIC VOTE)- BABENCO- SOMEONE HAS TO LISTEN TO THEIR HEART AND SAY: IT STOPPED 2020 MUNICH INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL NOMINATED BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM- BABENCO- SOMEONE HAS TO LISTEN TO THEIR HEART AND SAY: IT STOPPED

2020 SHOW NYON VISIONS DU RÉEL NOMINATED BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM- BABENCO- SOMEONE HAS TO LISTEN TO THEIR HEART AND SAY: IT STOPPED

2020 GRAMADO FILM FESTIVAL NOMINATED

BEST ACTRESS – WHY DON’T YOU CRY?

2021 BRAZILIAN CINEMA GRAND PRIZE NOMINATED BEST ORIGINAL SCRIPT- BABENCO- SOMEONE HAS TO LISTEN TO THE HEART AND SAY: IT STOPPED

2021 BRAZILIAN CINEMA GRAND PRIZE NOMINATED BEST SOUNDTRACK- BABENCO- SOMEONE HAS TO LISTEN TO IT HEART AND SAY: STOPPED

2021 BRAZILIAN CINEMA GUARANI AWARD NOMINATED BEST FILM, BEST DIRECTION, BEST PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTION BABENCO- SOMEONE HAS TO LISTEN TO THE HEART AND SAY: IT STOPPED

2022 GRAMADO FESTIVAL

NOMINATED BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - THE DOOR NEXT DOOR

2022 BEST OF THE YEAR NOMINATED BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - BEYOND ILLUSION