Salles’ filmic work centers on the issues of national identity and displacement. His first feature film, Foreign Land (1995), which focused on the Brazilian political turmoil of the early 90s, received the prize for Best Brazilian Film in 1995. Central Do Brasil (Central Station) won the Golden Bear at the 1998 Berlin Film Festival. During its development, Central do Brasil’s screenplay received the Sundance/NHK award. His other films received prizes at the Cannes (Linha De Passe), Venice (Behind the Sun), and San Sebastian Film Festivals. Salles also won the Golden Globe and the British BAFTA twice (The Motorcycle Diaries and Central Station). Films that Salles has directed or produced have received a total of eight Academy Award nominations, including one win for The Motorcycle Diaries. In 2014, Salles directed Jia Zhangke, A Guy From Fenyang, a documentary on the Chinese independent film director. The World of Jia Zhangke, a book with interviews conducted by Salles and Jean-Michel Frodon, was launched at the 2014 Sao Paulo International Film Festival. In 2017, Salles directed the short film When the Earth Trembles as part of the collective film Where Has Time Gone, which was produced by Jia Zhangke. Salles is also a producer of first features made by young directors from Brazil such as Karim Ainouz, Sergio Machado, Eryk Rocha and Flavia Castro.