Helena Ignez
Born: 1939-05-23 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Known For: Acting
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).
Filmography
2026
- Eclipse as Dona da Kitnet
- Helena! Cinema!
- Cartas Para Rian as Nair de Tefé
2025
- Not Even God Is As Fair As Your Jeans as Dra. Marina Consiglio
- Nosferatu
- Primavera nos Dentes – A História do Secos & Molhados as Self
- Gravidade
- Trópico de Leão as Medéia
- Deuses da Peste
- Message from Sergipe
2024
- If I'm Here It Is by Mystery as Arlete
- A Última Vanguarda as Self
2023
- The Long Voyage of the Yellow Bus
- Nelson Carneiro: Knight of Democracy as Self
- Helena de Guaratiba as Helena
- Joy Is the Acid Test as Jarda Ícone
- O Mel é Mais Doce Que o Sangue
2022
- The Welles Raft as Herself
- The Mother as Dulce
2021
- Subterrânea as Senhora Ônibus
- The Good Cinema
- Um Documentário Brasileiro as Self
- Nova Pasta, Antigo Baú as Voiceover
2020
- Candango: Memoirs from a Festival as Self
- Natureza Morta as Narradora 3
- Mulher Oceano as Mulher Caminhando de Costas (uncredited)
- Rio de Topless as Self
- Ensaio Sobre o Fracasso
- Benjamim Zambraia e o Autopanóptico as Mother
- Race Antenna as Self
- The Lady Who Died in the Trailer
- Esse fim de semana vou me dedicar as paredes
- Fogo Baixo, Alto Astral
2019
- Fakir as Narrator
- Memórias do Grupo Opinião as Self (archive footage)
- A Mulher da Luz Própria as Self
- Flesh as (voice)
- In Memoriam: O Roteiro do Gravador
- Bring me the Head of Carmen M. as Diretora
- Extracts
2018
- My Calendar Girl as Helena / Palestrante (voz)
- O Desmonte do Monte
- Antes do Fim
2017
- All Paulos in the World - Paulo José
- Brazilian Cinema in the 20th Century as Self
- Inaudito as Voice
- Venus – Filly the Lesbian Little Fairy as Narração
- Febre
2016
- Ralé: The Lower Depths as Sonia Silk
- O Cinema Foi à Feira as Ela mesma
2014
- Love Film Festival as Herself
- Estátua! as Mãe (voz)
- Paixão e Virtude
- Ossos as Voz Off
- The End of an Age as (voz)
- Copacabana, Mon Amour: A Restauração as Self
2013
- Terno as Mãe
- Ugly, Me? as Jarda
- Poder dos Afetos as Ritual Xamânico
- Sinais de Cinza, A Peleja de Olney Contra o Dragão da Maldade
- Desculpa, Dona Madama as Patroa
2012
2009
- Hotel Atlântico as Dona da Pousada
- Belair
- A Vermelha Luz do Bandido
2008
- Embodiment of Evil as Cabíria
- A Bela P...
2007
- Meu Mundo em Perigo as Mãe de Ísis
- Canção de Baal ... (Director)
2006
2005
- A Miss e o Dinossauro as Herself (archive footage) / (Voz em Off)
- Luz-Lux-Lúcia
2004
- Retrato da Terra as Ela mesma
2003
- Abry as Self
- Glauber Rocha - The Movie, Brazil's Labyrinth as Self
- The Sign of Chaos as Guida
- Reinvenção da Rua as Herself
2001
1999
- São Jerônimo as Marcela
1997
1994
1992
- Tereza Batista as Maricota
- Perigo Negro as Tiafa
- Oswaldianas
- Scent of Gardenias as Bandida
- América: O Grande Acerto de Vespúcio ... (Editor)
1990
1986
- It's Not All True
- Spray Jet as Bossy Lady
1978
- Mulheres de Cinema as Self (archive footage)
1974
- A Man and His Cage as Aeromoça
1971
- Memoirs of a Strangler of Blondes as Multiple Characters (Archive Footage)
1970
- The Monsters of Babaloo
- Watch Out, Madame
- No Way, Spider
- The Hullabaloo Family as Prostituta
- Carnaval na Lama
- Copacabana Mon Amour as Sônia Silk
1969
- Era Preciso Voltar as Regina
- The Woman of Everyone as Ângela Carne e Osso
- Baron Olavo, The Horrible as Isabel
1968
- The Red Light Bandit as Janete Jane
- The Outsiders
1967
- Face to Face as Luciana
- O Engano as Mulher do médico
1966
- The Priest and the Girl as Mariana
1964
- Grito da Terra as Mariá
1962
- Assault on the Pay Train as Marta
1961
- A Grande Feira as Ely
1959
- O Pátio as The woman