Carlos Diegues | |
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Born | Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil | 19 May 1940
Occupation(s) | Film director, screenwriter |
Years active | 1959–present |
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Carlos Diegues, also known as Cacá Diegues (born May 19, 1940), is a Brazilian film director.[1] He was born in Maceió, Alagoas, and is best known as a member of the Cinema Novo movement.[2] He is popularly known for his unconventional, yet intriguing film techniques[according to whom?] among other film producers of the Cinema Novo movement. Diegues is also widely known for his dynamic use visuals, ideas, plots, themes, and other cinematic techniques. He incorporated many musical acts in his film as he favored musical pieces to be complementary of his ideas. Diegues remains very popular and is regarded as one of the most cinematic producers of his generation.[3] Of the Cinema Novo directors, he would go on to produce films, plays, musicals and other forms of entertainment in Brazil.
Diegues' contributions to Brazilian cinema developed the film industry. He would pioneer expensive film projects that domestic filmmakers had ever seen. Films such as Bye Bye Brazil were two million dollar projects and later on films such as God is Brazilian would be over 10 million dollars. This was a new era in Brazil as domestic directors had yet to produce any films with that kind of financial support.[4] He admits to using Brazilians in his films as much as he can. Diegues would use extras, film technicians, painters, sculptors and other essential personnel of Brazilian backgrounds even if they were inexperienced.[4] Diegues attempted to consistently represent the underrepresented people of Brazil in his films. He suggests that history is written by the winners and the afro-Brazilian communities were not among those who were given a chance to write their own history.[4] He also proposed the idea that up until this movement, cinema in Brazil only provided the white Brazilian experience despite the growing masses of black Brazilians all over the country.[4] He is known for distinguished publications that uplift the Afro-Brazilian spirit and bodies.
In 2018, Diegues was elected to the Brazilian Academy of Letters.[5]