Walter Hugo Khouri was born in São Paulo, in 1929, and through his career directed 25 feature-length films, beginning after working as a technician at the Vera Cruz Film Company during the production of "O Cangaceiro". Debuting with 1951s "O Gigante de Pedra", Khouri was a complete auteur, working as screenwriter, director, camera operator and editing supervisor for most of his films. During his career, Khouri filmed the moral decadence of the Brazilian bourgeoisie and the erotic aesthetics as a personal, psychological issue. His works focused on the existential character of Brazilian society's upper classes. His filmes are marked by the presence of Marcelo, a recurring character that serves as an avatar and alter-ego for Khouri himself. He died in São Paulo in 2003, at age 73.