Brazil / 1976 / 107mins / Comedy, Historical Drama / Portuguese

Digues' outrageously comical cinema novo classic is based on the life of Francisca da Silva da Oliveira, an enslaved Brazilian woman who in the second half of the 18th century, became the center of attention in the Diamantino District of Minas Gerais, where the richest mines in the country were located. She is said to have used her seductive charms to capture the attention of João Fernandes (Walmor Chagas), a wealthy diamond miner and representative of the Portuguese Crown, who fell in love with her, eventually leading to her freedom and her becoming his unofficial wife and one of the most powerful and extravagant Brazilians of the time. Later, however, alerted by the couple's enemies, the king of Portugal sends an emissary to prevent Xica's power from growing in the colony.

Carlos Diegues

Carlos Diegues, born May 19, 1940 in Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil, studied law in Rio de Janeiro, while also running film clubs. He became a film critic and directed short films imbued with social realism. A pioneer of Cinéma Novo, in particular with Glauber Rocha, he sought to imprint Brazilian filmmaking on the national consciousness. His first feature films Ganga Zumba (1963) and A Grande Cidade (The Big City - 1966), spoke of his dream of a fairer world. He then went on to direct Os Herdeiros (1969), Joanna Francesa (1975) with Jeanne Moreau and Xica da Silva (1976) which ushered in a period of great popularity for Brazilian cinema, reinforced by the success of Summer Showers (1978) an Official Selection at Cannes Film Festival, as were Bye Bye Brazil (1979), Quilombo (1982) and Um Trem para as estrelas (Subway to the Stars - 1988). His exploration of popular culture continued with Veja esta Canção (1994) and Orfeu (2000). In 2006, he won the Best Film Award at the Montreal Festival, for The Greatest Love in the World. Learn More