Michel Coeli is a Brazilian filmmaker and photographer, a graduate of the Darcy Ribeiro Film School in Rio de Janeiro. With a career defined by an immersive and sensitive approach, he has dedicated himself to telling stories that reveal the human complexities and urgent challenges of our time.
Creator and director of the documentary series "Que Mundo É Esse?" (GloboNews/Globoplay), he has traveled to over 50 countries documenting remote territories and extreme contexts shaped by conflict and transformation — from wars in the Middle East to the tensions between Israel and Palestine, and the refugee crisis in Europe. He has also filmed symbolic locations such as Chernobyl and explored the relationship between humans and nature, from the illegal ivory trade in Kenya and whale hunting in the Faroe Islands to regeneration initiatives like the Great Green Wall in the African Sahel.
In 2014, his short film In the Eye of the Storm, about the 2013 protests in Brazil, gained international recognition and was screened at the International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights in Geneva.
Symphony of Survival (2024), his first feature-length documentary, explores the devastating consequences of the wildfires in the Pantanal. By following injured wildlife and the efforts of volunteers on the front lines, the film stands as a powerful document of Brazil’s environmental crisis. It was awarded Best Documentary at the 48th São Paulo International Film Festival, received the Audience Award at CineSur – Bonito Film Festival (2025), and won Best Cinematography at the Los Angeles Brazilian Film Festival – LABRFF (2025).
Michel Coeli seeks to create cinematic experiences that bring audiences closer to often unseen realities, provoking reflection and expanding perspectives on the contemporary world.
You can find me on:
michelcoeli@gmail.com
instagram.com/michelcoeli