Helena Ignez (born May 23, 1942) 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).
Movie | Not Even God Is As Fair As Your Jeans | Marina Consiglio | 2025 |
Movie | A Última Vanguarda | Self | 2024-03-19 |
Movie | If I'm Here It Is by Mystery | Arlete | 2024-01-24 |
Movie | Joy Is the Acid Test | Jarda Ícone | 2023-01-23 |
Movie | Helena de Guaratiba | Helena | 2023-10-13 |
Movie | The Long Voyage of the Yellow Bus | 2023-01-30 | |
Movie | The Welles Raft | Herself | 2022-06-23 |
Movie | The Mother | Dulce | 2022-11-10 |
Movie | Um Documentário Brasileiro | Self | 2021-05-22 |
Movie | Subterrânea | Senhora Ônibus | 2021-01-23 |
Movie | The Good Cinema | 2021-03-18 | |
Movie | Natureza Morta | 2020-01-31 | |
Movie | Ensaio Sobre o Fracasso | 2020-01-31 | |
Movie | Rio de Topless | Self | 2020-01-01 |
Movie | Benjamim Zambraia e o Autopanóptico | Mother | 2020-12-17 |
Movie | Candango: Memoirs from a Festival | Self | 2020-10-22 |
Movie | The Lady Who Died in the Trailer | 2020-05-11 | |
Movie | Mulher Oceano | Mulher Caminhando de Costas (uncredited) | 2020-10-22 |
Movie | Race Antenna | Self | 2020-10-15 |
Movie | Bring me the Head of Carmen M. | Diretora | 2019-01-24 |
Movie | A Mulher da Luz Própria | Self | 2019-06-06 |
Movie | Memórias do Grupo Opinião | Self (archive footage) | 2019-05-15 |
Movie | Flesh | (voice) | 2019-08-07 |
Movie | Extracts | 2019-10-08 | |
Movie | In Memoriam: O Roteiro do Gravador | 2019-07-12 | |
Movie | Antes do Fim | 2018-02-15 | |
Movie | O Desmonte do Monte | 2018-03-30 | |
Movie | My Calendar Girl | Palestrante (voz) | 2018-09-27 |
Movie | Venus – Filly the Lesbian Little Fairy | Narração | 2017-02-13 |
Movie | Febre | 2017-08-05 | |
Movie | All Paulos in the World - Paulo José | Self | 2017-10-14 |
Movie | Brazilian Cinema in the 20th Century | Self | 2017-03-31 |
Movie | Ralé: The Lower Depths | Sonia Silk | 2016-05-05 |
Movie | O Cinema Foi à Feira | Ela mesma | 2016-11-12 |
Movie | Ossos | Voz Off | 2014-01-01 |
Movie | Copacabana, Mon Amour: A Restauração | Self | 2014-01-01 |
Movie | Love Film Festival | Herself | 2014-10-05 |
Movie | Paixão e Virtude | 2014-01-26 | |
Movie | The End of an Age | (voz) | 2014-09-30 |
Movie | Estátua! | Mãe (voz) | 2014-08-21 |
Movie | Sinais de Cinza, A Peleja de Olney Contra o Dragão da Maldade | 2013-01-22 | |
Movie | Poder dos Afetos | Ritual Xamânico | 2013-10-06 |
Movie | Terno | Mãe | 2013-08-23 |
Movie | Ugly, Me? | Jarda | 2013-10-27 |
Movie | Light in Darkness: The Return of Red Light Bandit | 2012-05-13 | |
Movie | Mr. Sganzerla: Os Signos da Luz | 2012-05-24 | |
Movie | A Balada do Provisório | Provisório's Mother | 2012-11-28 |
Movie | Avacalha e se Esculhamba | 2010-04-20 | |
Movie | A Vermelha Luz do Bandido | 2009-08-11 | |
Movie | Hotel Atlântico | Dona da Pousada | 2009-09-25 |
Movie | Belair | 2009-10-04 | |
Movie | Embodiment of Evil | Cabíria | 2008-08-08 |
Movie | A Bela P... | 2008-06-03 | |
Movie | Meu Mundo em Perigo | Mãe de Isis | 2007-01-01 |
Movie | Helena Zero | 2006-01-02 | |
Movie | A Miss e o Dinossauro | Herself (archive footage) / (Voz em Off) | 2005-05-10 |
Movie | Luz-Lux-Lúcia | 2005-06-01 | |
Movie | Retrato da Terra | Ela mesma | 2004-03-14 |
Movie | Abry | Self | 2003-03-20 |
Movie | Reinvenção da Rua | Herself | 2003-01-01 |
Movie | The Sign of Chaos | Guida | 2003-09-25 |
Movie | Glauber Rocha - The Movie, Brazil's Labyrinth | Self | 2003-09-17 |
Movie | B2 | 2001-01-01 | |
Movie | São Jerônimo | Marcela | 1999-09-10 |
Movie | Celebração - 100 Anos do Cinema Nacional | Self | 1997-01-01 |
Movie | Flying Geraldo | 1994-01-01 | |
Movie | Perigo Negro | Tiafa | 1992-02-21 |
Movie | Scent of Gardenias | Bandida | 1992-08-07 |
Movie | Oswaldianas | 1992-02-21 | |
Movie | Anônimo e incomum | 1990-03-16 | |
Movie | It's Not All True | 1986-08-22 | |
Movie | Mulheres de Cinema | Self (archive footage) | 1978-06-06 |
Movie | A Man and His Cage | Aeromoça | 1974-09-23 |
Movie | Um Intruso no Paraíso | 1973-03-03 | |
Movie | Watch Out, Madame | 1970-01-01 | |
Movie | The Monsters of Babaloo | 1970-01-01 | |
Movie | Copacabana Mon Amour | Sônia Silk | 1970-02-13 |
Movie | No Way, Spider | 1970-04-09 | |
Movie | A Familia do Barulho | Prostituta | 1970-05-05 |
Movie | Baron Olavo, The Horrible | 1969-05-08 | |
Movie | The Woman of Everyone | Ângela Carne e Osso | 1969-10-24 |
Movie | The Outsiders | 1968-01-27 | |
Movie | The Red Light Bandit | Janete Jane | 1968-12-02 |
Movie | Face To Face | Luciana | 1967-01-01 |
Movie | The Priest and the Girl | Mariana | 1966-03-28 |
Movie | Grito da Terra | Mariá | 1964-05-26 |
Movie | Assault on the Pay Train | Marta | 1962-09-02 |
Movie | A Grande Feira | Ely | 1961-03-10 |
Movie | O Pátio | The woman | 1959-01-01 |