Carlos Diegues, affectionately known as Cacá, the prolific and influential Brazilian filmmaker, died at the age of 84 in Rio de Janeiro due to cardiovascular complications following surgery. A founding member of the acclaimed Cinema Novo movement, he was one of Brazil’s most celebrated directors, with landmark films such as Ganga Zumba, Quilombo, and Bye Bye Brazil.
Born on May 19, 1940, in Maceió, in northeastern Brazil, Diegues moved to Rio de Janeiro with his family as a child. He studied law in Rio, where he became involved in political activism as a student while developing a passion for cinema. With a strong interest in social issues, he integrated sharp political critique into his filmmaking. He also worked as a film critic and directed short films rooted in social realism.
Diegues became a leading figure in Brazilian Cinema Novo—alongside Glauber Rocha, Nelson Pereira dos Santos, Ruy Guerra, and Joaquim Pedro de Andrade—a movement that emerged in the 1960s, defined by its engagement with social issues, innovative storytelling, and distinctive visual style. Seeking to portray the realities of Brazilian society while critically examining the country’s political and social landscape, the movement was deeply influenced by European art cinema, Third Cinema, and alternative filmmaking practices.
A prolific filmmaker, Diegues directed over a dozen feature films spanning more than five decades, exploring themes of race, class, and national identity. In 1962, he directed the episode Escola de Samba: Alegria de Viver in the landmark omnibus film Cinco Vezes Favela, co-directed by Miguel Borges, Leon Hirszman, and Joaquim Pedro de Andrade. The film, composed of five segments, depicted the struggles of people living in Rio de Janeiro’s hillside favelas.
A year later, Diegues made his feature debut with Ganga Zumba, a historical drama about a group of enslaved people who, led by the young Ganga Zumba, conspire to escape the sugar cane plantations of northeastern Brazil and establish the first revolutionary republic in the Americas.
Throughout the seventies and eighties, Diegues solidified his reputation as a major force in Brazilian cinema. His 1973 film Joanna Francesa, starring Jeanne Moreau, explored the complex relationship between a French courtesan and a Brazilian landowner, while Xica da Silva (1976) became one of his most commercially successful works, telling the story of an enslaved woman’s rise to power in colonial Brazil.
His 1980 classic Bye Bye Brazil, starring Betty Faria and José Wilker, followed a traveling circus troupe navigating a rapidly modernizing country, offering a poetic and bittersweet reflection on the tensions between tradition and progress. The film became an international success and remains one of the most beloved works in Brazilian cinema.
In the later decades of his career, Diegues continued to direct and advocate for Latin American cinema. Quilombo (1984) revisited the themes of resistance and Black identity, while Orfeu (1999), a reimagining of the Orpheus myth set in Rio’s favelas, brought him back to the international stage. His final film, O Grande Circo Místico (2018), premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, capping a long and distinguished career.
Diegues was not only a filmmaker but also a champion of Brazilian culture, advocating for the preservation and promotion of national cinema. He was instrumental in the creation of ANCINE, Brazil’s national film agency, and remained an influential voice in cultural policy discussions. He is survived by his wife, Renata de Almeida Magalhães, and their children.
