Living in Portugal since 1952, she stayed with her aunt in Paris during the long term holidays while she was a schoolgirl. It was then she got started in watching, and loving movies, at the Cinémathèque de Paris, where her aunt was deputy director. She was married twice, and had children from her first husband. In April 25, 1974, she came to the streets armed with a movie camera, and filmed the happiness of the people during the first hours of liberation from the Portuguese oppressive political regime. She was a film editor for several years, work she considered very intense and demanding, and which she loved. She was also assistant director to several movie directors, until she made her directorial debut with Velhos São os Trapos (1981).