Leon Hirszman

Leon Hirszman (22 November 1937 – 15 September 1987) was a Brazilian filmmaker, producer and screenwriter, and one of the main figures of Cinema Novo.

A member of the Brazilian Communist Party (PCB), his work was marked by the influence of Marxist ideas, representation of the working class, and the political turmoil of Latin America during the military dictatorship in Brazil. 355x355px

Career He is best known for directing the 1981 film They Don't Wear Black Tie which won the Special Jury Prize at the 38th Venice International Film Festival.

His other films include Fernanda Montenegro's 1965 film debut The Deceased, the 1972 adaptation of Graciliano Ramos's S. Bernardo and the documentary ABC da Greve. Personal life Hirszman died from complications of HIV/AIDS in 1987. He was married with Cláudia Fares Menhem, and had three children: Irma, Maria and João Pedro.

Filmography

Feature films

Other credits + KeyIndicates a documentaryIndicates a short film

Year Original title Language(s) Notes 1962 Pedreira de São Diogo Portuguese Segment of Cinco Vezes Favela (1962). 1964 Maioria Absoluta Portuguese Short documentary on illiteracy and unequal land distribution in Brazil's countryside. 1969 Nelson Cavaquinho Portuguese Short documentary on Nelson Cavaquinho. 1969 Sexta-Feira da Paixão, Sábado de Aleluia Portuguese Segment of América do Sexo (Sex America) (1969). 1973 Megalópolis Portuguese Short documentary on urbanization in Brazil, especially in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. 1973 Ecologia Portuguese Short documentary denouncing the exploitation of natural resources in Brazil. 1974 Cantos de Trabalho: Mutirão Portuguese Short documentary on corn agriculture in Chã Preta, Alagoas. First of three "Cantos de Trabalho" short documentaries. 1976 Cantos de Trabalho: Cana-de-Açúcar Portuguese Short documentary on sugarcane agriculture in Feira de Santana, Bahia. Second of three "Cantos de Trabalho" short documentaries. 1976 Cantos de Trabalho: Cacau Portuguese Short documentary on cacao agriculture in Itabuna, Bahia. Third of three "Cantos de Trabalho" short documentaries. 1976 Que País É Este? Portuguese Brazilian-Italian co-production. Documentary on the history of Brazil. 1978 Rio, Carnaval da Vida Portuguese Also known as Carnaval do Povo. Short documentary on carnival in Rio de Janeiro. 1982 Partido Alto Portuguese Filmed in 1976. Short documentary on the partido alto samba subgenre. 1988 Imagens do Inconsciente Portuguese Filmed between 1983 and 1986. Trilogy (Em Busca do Espaço Cotidiano, No Reino das Mães and A Barca do Sol), documentary on Nise da Silveira's cases. 1990 ABC da Greve Portuguese Filmed in 1979. Documentary on the 1978-1980 workers' strike in the ABC Region. 1995 Cinema Brasileiro: Mercado Ocupado Portuguese Filmed in 1975. Short documentary on the contemporary Brazilian film production conditions. 1996 Bahia de Todos os Sambas Portuguese Co-directed with Paulo César Saraceni. Concert film filmed in Rome, Italy, between 23 and 31 August, 1983, documenting the Bahia de Todos os Sambas festival. 2014 Posfácio: Imagens do Inconsciente Portuguese Filmed in 1986. Interview with Nise da Silveira.