Luis Bunuel Portoles (1900-1983), was
a Spanish-Mexican filmmaker. He was born in the city of Calanda, in Aragon,
Spain. His family was devoutly Catholic and this probably led to his resentment
of Catholicism and disregard for Catholic values later in his life.
He attended the University of Madrid, where he became close friends with painter Salvador Dali and poet Frederico Garcia Lorca, who were studying at the Academy of Arts in the city. Bunuel initially enrolled at the University as an engineering student, but he later switched to philosophy.
Bunuel's father died in 1923, prompting Luis to seek a change of scenery. He left Spain in 1925, moving to Paris. There, he first tried himself in filmmaking. In 1929, together with Dali, he wrote and produced "Un Chien Andalou" (Andalusian Dog), a Surrealist film, hailed by critics.
His next film, L'Age d'Or (The Golden Age), was started as another collaboration with Dali, but after an argument, Bunuel finished the movie on his own. Because of its anti-Catholic theme, the film came under fire in Bunuel's native Spain and the theater where the film premiered was wrecked by nationalist extremists.
In 1934, Luis Bunuel married Jeanne Rucar in Paris. They would remain together their entire lives.
With the beginning of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, Bunuel fled to the USA, fearing the rise of the Spanish fascists. He moved several times between New York City, where he worked at the Museum of Modern Art, and Hollywood, where he helped production companies with foreign-language films.
In 1946, Bunuel moved to Mexico, applying for and receiving a Mexican citizenship in 1949. It was here that he produced his first films of international acclaim, including Los Olvidados (1950), El (1952), Nazarin (1958) and Viridiana (1961).
Bunuel returned to France in the 1970s, producing some of his most famous films: Belle de jour (1967), Le charme discret de la bourgeoisie (1972) and Cet obscur object du desir (1977). He retired in 1977, moving back to his beloved Mexico.
Bunuel died in Mexico City in 1983.