Florence Pugh celebrated Sebastián Lelio, the director of her 2022 film “The Wonder.” She described him as a gentle artist who appreciated women’s stories, as well as their passion for food, red wine, and dancing.
Sebastián Lelio died Friday at age 52 in Santiago, Chile. His family broke the news on Instagram, explaining that his death was associated with health issues but providing no further details.
“I’ve been processing this news since the day it happened; my brain is having a hard time accepting that this incredible man is no longer with us,” Pugh wrote on Instagram. “Sebastián Lelio, what an absolute sparkling jewel you were.”
Pugh and Lelio met during the shooting of “The Wonder,” which starred Pugh as an English nurse who travels to rural Ireland to observe a little girl who reportedly lived for several months without food.
“We met 5 years ago on ‘The Wonder.’ He was so impressive, his work had already done so much for women and he was recognised and praised highly for that,” Pugh wrote. “My heart is broken. He was a man who was so firmly on our side. He cared so deeply for women; he dedicated his work to telling the stories of women and all of the different hardships and pain.”
“He was sensitive, with bright blue beaming eyes that stared into your soul even if you were talking about breakfast,” she added.
According to Pugh, food became the real connection between them.
“We fell in love over food; we had so much to talk about with the script of The Wonder, but the thing that really allowed us to share a heartbeat was love of food,” she wrote. “Meat, stews, cheese, red wine. OH RED WINE we both would scream. He would take me out for foodie dinners in Dublin to talk about the project, but we’d just be giddy over the chef’s choices sent out.”
Pugh also shared one of the meals she prepared to commemorate Lelio.
“So it’s not lost on me that right before I’d found out about his passing, I’d purchased a special cut of beef and a special red wine, almost as a preparation for his mourning. I cooked it. Drank it. And thought and spoke of how unique and mesmerising he was,” Pugh added. “I smiled through tears as I looked at my plate because I knew he would have smiled at it too.”
According to her, Lelio taught a lesson that went beyond filmmaking.
“He taught me the need and importance of dancing. Regularly. Ugly but human dancing,” she wrote. “He was patient. He was gentle. He was a brilliant artist and a director whose actions in his art made a difference.”
“This loss has really hurt my heart, and a big painful reminder that we don’t have forever,” Pugh added. “Sending my love and deep warm hugs to his family and friends. I’m so sorry for your massive loss.”
She concluded by raising her glass to her friend: “Sebastian, I love you, dear friend. I’m cheersing to you. Always. X”
Lelio’s partner, Amalia Kassai, posted the family’s statement in Spanish on Instagram, saying they were deeply grieved and requesting privacy.
Born March 8, 1974, in Mendoza, Argentina, Lelio moved to Chile at age 2 and graduated from the Escuela de Cine de Chile.
He achieved international recognition with Gloria, whose star, Paulina García, won Best Actress at the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival.
His drama “A Fantastic Woman,” featuring Daniela Vega as a transgender woman dealing with the death of her partner, received the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2018, becoming the first Chilean film to win in that category.
He later directed Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams in “Disobedience” and Julianne Moore in “Gloria Bell,” his English-language remake of Gloria. Lelio co-wrote “The Wonder” with Alice Birch and Emma Donoghue, author of the novel that inspired the film.
His latest completed film, “The Wave,” premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. At the time of his death, Lelio was working on an adaptation of Alejandro Zambra’s novel “Chilean Poet.”
