NATALIA LEITE is a Brazilian writer/director. Her work has been described as having “a bracing, assertive style” (Variety), “emotional intelligence” (LA Times), and as “cementing the reign over highly stylized, sexually progressive dramas” (Slate).

She has directed several episodes of THE HANDMAID’S TALE, among other acclaimed series. Her micro-budget indie feature, M.F.A., a psychological thriller starring Francesca Eastwood, premiered at SXSW 2017 where it was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize and fueled discussions at the start of the #MeToo movement. Natalia directed the pilot of the Hulu series BLACK CAKE, created by Marisa Jo Cerar, executive produced by Oprah Winfrey and Aaron Kaplan, based on the New York Times best-selling book. Most recently, she directed episodes of THE TWISTED TALE OF AMANDA KNOX for Hulu, created by KJ Steinberg, executive produced by Amanda Knox, Monica Lewinsky, and Warren Littlefield. 

Prior to working in scripted content, Natalia created short documentaries, many for Vice TV, by immersing herself in different subcultures as a form of first-person investigative storytelling. She grew up in Sao Paulo, Brasil, and studied fine arts.