Carlos Diegues

Carlos Diegues
Born (1940-05-19) 19 May 1940 (age 84)
Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil
Occupation(s)Film director, screenwriter
Years active1959–present
Spouses
  • Nara Leão
    ​
    (m. 1967⁠–⁠1977)​
  • Renata Almeida Magalhães
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1981)​

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]

  1. ^ Thompson, Howard (January 21, 1972). "MOVIE REVIEW Brazilian Slaves Flee in 'Ganga Zumba'". The New York Times.
  2. ^ Schneider, Steven Jay, ed. (2007). 501 Movie Directors. London: Cassell Illustrated. p. 434. ISBN 9781844035731. OCLC 1347156402.
  3. ^ Diegues, Carlos, and Dan Yakir. "The Mind of Cinema Novo." Film Comment 16, no. 5 (1980): 40-44. http://0-www.jstor.org.dewey2.library.denison.edu/stable/43451437.
  4. ^ a b c d DIEGUES, CARLOS, and Coco Fusco. "Choosing Between Legend and History: AN INTERVIEW WITH CARLOS DIEGUES." Cinéaste 15, no. 1 (1986): 12-14. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41686849.
  5. ^ Betim, Felipe (2018-08-31). "ABL frustra expectativas de campanha por Conceição Evaristo e elege Cacá Diegues como novo imortal". EL PAÍS (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2018-09-30.