Helena Ignez

Known For

Acting

Born

May 23, 1939

Place of Birth

Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

Credits

119 titles

Helena Ignez

Biography

Helena Ignez (Salvador, May 23, 1939) is a Brazilian actress and filmmaker. Helena was born in Salvador, Bahia and was attending her second year of law school when she fell in love with theater and decided to study the Dramatic Arts at the Federal University of Bahia. At the time, the Bahian theater scene was breaking with traditional Brazilian theater and experiencing strong influence from the young vanguard. She first appeared on the screen in Glauber Rocha's short film "Pátio". Helena acted in a few films associated with the Cinema Novo movement, such as "A Grande Feira" (1961), "Assalto ao Trem Pagador" (1962), and "O Padre e a Moça" (1966) before playing Janete Jane in O Bandido da Luz Vermelha by Rogério Sganzerla. After this film, she would perform in some most significant films in the Cinema Marginal movement, which directly opposed the critically acclaimed Cinema Novo -- the most remarkable being her role as Ângela Carne e "Osso in A Mulher de Todos" (1969). She also was a financial partner of Rogério Sganzerla and fellow Cinema Marginal filmmaker Júlio Bressane in the short-lived, although prolific, Belair production company. Between 1968 and 1970, Sganzerla and Ignez made almost a dozen films together and were also married and had two children -- one of which would become actress Djin Sganzerla. As a filmmaker, Ignez has directed 7 films, the most notable being "Luz das Trevas" (2010), a sequel to Sganzerla's debut feature "O Bandido da Luz Vermelha" (1968).

Known For

Filmography

2026

Pioneiras do Cinema

Movie
2026

A Film to Remind Us of Utopia

Self (archive footage)

Movie
2026

Eclipse

Dona da Kitnet

Movie
2026

Cartas Para Rian

Nair de Tefé

Movie
2026

Helena! Cinema!

Movie
2025

Primavera nos Dentes – A História do Secos & Molhados

Self

Tv
2025

Nosferatu

Movie
2025

Gravidade

Movie
2025

Message from Sergipe

Movie
2025

Trópico de Leão

Medéia

Movie
2025

Not Even God Is As Fair As Your Jeans

Dra. Marina Consiglio

Movie
2025

Deuses da Peste

Movie
2024

A Última Vanguarda

Self

Movie
2024

If I'm Here It Is by Mystery

Arlete

Movie
2023

Nelson Carneiro: Knight of Democracy

Self

Movie
2023

Helena de Guaratiba

Helena

Movie
2023

O Mel é Mais Doce Que o Sangue

Movie
2023

The Long Voyage of the Yellow Bus

Movie
2023

Joy Is the Acid Test

Jarda Ícone

Movie
2022

The Mother

Dulce

Movie
2022

The Welles Raft

Herself

Movie
2021

Nova Pasta, Antigo Baú

Voiceover

Movie
2021

Um Documentário Brasileiro

Self

Movie
2021

The Good Cinema

Movie
2021

Subterrânea

Senhora Ônibus

Movie
2020

Benjamim Zambraia e o Autopanóptico

Mother

Movie
2020

Candango: Memoirs from a Festival

Self

Movie
2020

Mulher Oceano

Mulher Caminhando de Costas (uncredited)

Movie
2020

Race Antenna

Self

Movie
2020

The Lady Who Died in the Trailer

Movie
2020

Esse fim de semana vou me dedicar as paredes

Movie
2020

Fogo Baixo, Alto Astral

Movie
2020

Ensaio Sobre o Fracasso

Movie
2020

Natureza Morta

Narradora 3

Movie
2020

Rio de Topless

Self

Movie
2019

Extracts

Movie
2019

Notícias do Fim do Mundo

Movie
2019

Flesh

(voice)

Movie
2019

Fakir

Narrator

Movie
2019

In Memoriam: O Roteiro do Gravador

Movie
2019

A Mulher da Luz Própria

Self

Movie
2019

Memórias do Grupo Opinião

Self (archive footage)

Movie
2019

Bring me the Head of Carmen M.

Diretora

Movie
2018

My Calendar Girl

Helena / Palestrante (voz)

Movie
2018

O Desmonte do Monte

Movie
2018

Antes do Fim

Movie
2017

Inaudito

Voice

Movie
2017

All Paulos in the World - Paulo José

Movie
2017

Febre

Movie
2017

Brazilian Cinema in the 20th Century

Self

Movie