“Throughout an unparalleled career, he illuminated audiences in European and Hollywood cinema with sensitivity, rigor, and elegance,” wrote Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports, Margarida Balseiro Lopes, on the social network X.
The minister added that “his artistic vision, recognized by Oscar and BAFTA nominations and the Order of Infante D. Henrique, leaves a lasting legacy.”
The minister was reacting to the death of cinematographer Eduardo Serra at the age of 81, announced by the Portuguese Cinema Academy.
Born in Lisbon in 1943, Eduardo Serra is the most internationally renowned Portuguese cinematographer, having been nominated twice for the Oscars for the films ‘The Wings of the Dove,’ by Iain Softley, and ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring,’ by Peter Webber, which earned him the BAFTA award from the British Academy of Film.
O Governo lamenta profundamente o falecimento de Eduardo Serra, o mais internacional dos diretores de fotografia portugueses.
Ao longo de uma carreira ímpar, iluminou plateias do cinema europeu e de Hollywood com sensibilidade, rigor e elegância. (1/2)— Margarida B Lopes (@margaridalopes) August 22, 2025
Eduardo Serra’s international career began in France, where he settled in 1963 following persecution for participating in protests against the dictatorship, according to the Portuguese Cinema Academy, which announced the cinematographer’s death on social media last Thursday night.
Among the films marking his career are ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,’ parts 1 and 2, ‘Blood Diamond,’ by Edward Zwick, ‘Belle du Seigneur’ by Glenio Bonder, and ‘A Promise,’ by Patrice Leconte.
In Portuguese cinema, he signed the cinematography for works such as ‘Sem Sombra de Pecado’ and ‘A Mulher do Próximo,’ by José Fonseca e Costa, ‘O Processo do Rei,’ by João Mário Grilo, ‘Amor e Dedinhos de Pé,’ by Luís Filipe Rocha, and ‘O Delfim,’ by Fernando Lopes.
Eduardo Serra was awarded the ranks of Commander and Grand Officer of the Order of Infante D. Henrique in 2004 and 2017, respectively, and the Sophia Career Award in 2014 from the Portuguese Cinema Academy.
A “major reference figure in world cinema,” Eduardo Serra “carried with him the vision of a Portuguese artist who knew how to engage with filmmakers from various geographies, from European auteur cinema to major international productions,” concludes the message from the Portuguese Cinema Academy.
