biography

Josias Saraiva Monteiro Teófilo (born August 27, 1987, in Recife, Brazil) is a Brazilian filmmaker, journalist, writer, photographer, and film director noted for his award-winning documentaries and cultural contributions. He gained recognition with his debut short film Quarteto Simbólico (2013), which was featured at over 30 national festivals and won Best Formation Documentary at Recife’s Festcine. In 2014, he published O Cinema Sonhado, an acclaimed essayistic biography on his grandfather Pedro Teófilo Batista, earning the Antônio de Brito Alves award. Teófilo’s feature The Garden of Afflictions (2017), co-directed with Matheus Bazzo, delves into philosophical themes and received top honors for Best Film at Cine PE. He also directed Nem Tudo Se Desfaz (2021), a documentary exploring Brazil’s recent political transformations, and continues working on Iconostasis, a film connecting Tarkovsky's cinema with Russian icon tradition. A prolific cultural voice, he contributes to Revista Continente and Crusoé, hosts lectures, and holds national honors such as the Medal of Literary Merit from the Brazilian National Library.