Brother of the actor Reginaldo Faria, had an "s" added to his surname by error of the notary. His mother took him as a baby when he went to the movies. Between one bottle and another, it was his first contact with what was happening on the screen. At the age of 8 he was making a "movie" at his house using shoe boxes. From cinema to photography was an easy jump and he came from Nova Friburgo to study Fine Arts in Rio de Janeiro or to do Architecture, but his destiny and preference was always the movies. Throughout his career, Roberto was an assistant, editor, screenwriter, producer and distributor, but he was never an actor.
The beginning was in Atlântida Cinematográfica where he was taken by Watson Macedo to be assistant of direction. The debut was in the drama Maior que o Ódio, directed by Jose Carlos Burle. He made almost ten films as a director or production assistant until he made his debut as a director in 1957 with "Rico Ri à Toa", a starring Zé Trindade in who besides directing, also was the author of the script and the dialogues.
In 1960, with Cidade Ameaçada, he won several awards and became one of the most respected filmmakers in Brazil, a position he would consolidate with Assalto ao Trem Pagador, in 1962.
