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

Tereza Batista

Eclipse

Celebração - 100 Anos do Cinema Nacional

Embodiment of Evil

The Red Light Bandit

Brazilian Cinema in the 20th Century

Face to Face

Copacabana Mon Amour
All Movies (112)
- A Film to Remind Us of Utopia2026 · as Self (archive footage)
- Eclipse2026 · as Dona da Kitnet
- Cartas Para Rian2026 · as Nair de Tefé
- Helena! Cinema!2026
- Nosferatu2025
- Gravidade2025
- Message from Sergipe2025
- Trópico de Leão2025 · as Medéia
- Not Even God Is As Fair As Your Jeans2025 · as Dra. Marina Consiglio
- Deuses da Peste2025
- A Última Vanguarda2024 · as Self
- If I'm Here It Is by Mystery2024 · as Arlete
- Nelson Carneiro: Knight of Democracy2023 · as Self
- Helena de Guaratiba2023 · as Helena
- O Mel é Mais Doce Que o Sangue2023
- The Long Voyage of the Yellow Bus2023
- Joy Is the Acid Test2023 · as Jarda Ícone
- The Mother2022 · as Dulce
- The Welles Raft2022 · as Herself
- Nova Pasta, Antigo Baú2021 · as Voiceover
- Um Documentário Brasileiro2021 · as Self
- The Good Cinema2021
- Subterrânea2021 · as Senhora Ônibus
- Benjamim Zambraia e o Autopanóptico2020 · as Mother
- Candango: Memoirs from a Festival2020 · as Self
- Mulher Oceano2020 · as Mulher Caminhando de Costas (uncredited)
- Race Antenna2020 · as Self
- The Lady Who Died in the Trailer2020
- Esse fim de semana vou me dedicar as paredes2020
- Fogo Baixo, Alto Astral2020
- Ensaio Sobre o Fracasso2020
- Natureza Morta2020 · as Narradora 3
- Rio de Topless2020 · as Self
- Extracts2019
- Flesh2019 · as (voice)
- Fakir2019 · as Narrator
- In Memoriam: O Roteiro do Gravador2019
- A Mulher da Luz Própria2019 · as Self
- Memórias do Grupo Opinião2019 · as Self (archive footage)
- Bring me the Head of Carmen M.2019 · as Diretora
- My Calendar Girl2018 · as Helena / Palestrante (voz)
- O Desmonte do Monte2018
- Antes do Fim2018
- Inaudito2017 · as Voice
- All Paulos in the World - Paulo José2017
- Febre2017
- Brazilian Cinema in the 20th Century2017 · as Self
- Venus – Filly the Lesbian Little Fairy2017 · as Narração
- O Cinema Foi à Feira2016 · as Ela mesma
- Ralé: The Lower Depths2016 · as Sonia Silk
- Love Film Festival2014 · as Herself
- The End of an Age2014 · as (voz)
- Estátua!2014 · as Mãe (voz)
- Paixão e Virtude2014
- Copacabana, Mon Amour: A Restauração2014 · as Self
- Ossos2014 · as Voz Off
- Desculpa, Dona Madama2013 · as Patroa
- Ugly, Me?2013 · as Jarda
- Poder dos Afetos2013 · as Ritual Xamânico
- Terno2013 · as Mãe
- Sinais de Cinza, A Peleja de Olney Contra o Dragão da Maldade2013
- A Balada do Provisório2012 · as Provisório's Mother
- Mr. Sganzerla: Os Signos da Luz2012
- Light in Darkness: The Return of Red Light Bandit2012
- Avacalha e se Esculhamba2010
- Hotel Atlântico2009 · as Dona da Pousada
- Belair2009
- A Vermelha Luz do Bandido2009
- Embodiment of Evil2008 · as Cabíria
- A Bela P...2008
- Meu Mundo em Perigo2007 · as Mãe de Ísis
- Helena Zero2006
- Luz-Lux-Lúcia2005
- A Miss e o Dinossauro2005 · as Herself (archive footage) / (Voz em Off)
- Retrato da Terra2004 · as Ela mesma
- The Sign of Chaos2003 · as Guida
- Glauber Rocha - The Movie, Brazil's Labyrinth2003 · as Self
- Abry2003 · as Self
- Reinvenção da Rua2003 · as Herself
- B22001
- São Jerônimo1999 · as Marcela
- Celebração - 100 Anos do Cinema Nacional1997 · as Self
- Flying Geraldo1994
- Scent of Gardenias1992 · as Bandida
- Oswaldianas1992
- Perigo Negro1992 · as Tiafa
- Anônimo e incomum1990
- It's Not All True1986
- Spray Jet1986 · as Bossy Lady
- Mulheres de Cinema1978 · as Self (archive footage)
- A Man and His Cage1974 · as Aeromoça
- Um Intruso no Paraíso1973
- Memoirs of a Strangler of Blondes1971 · as Multiple Characters (Archive Footage)
- The Hullabaloo Family1970 · as Prostituta
- No Way, Spider1970
- Carnaval na Lama1970
- Copacabana Mon Amour1970 · as Sônia Silk
- Watch Out, Madame1970
- The Monsters of Babaloo1970
- The Woman of Everyone1969 · as Ângela Carne e Osso
- Baron Olavo, The Horrible1969 · as Isabel
- The Red Light Bandit1968 · as Janete Jane
- The Outsiders1968
- Face to Face1967 · as Luciana
- O Engano1967 · as Mulher do médico
- The Priest and the Girl1966 · as Mariana
- Grito da Terra1964 · as Mariá
- Assault on the Pay Train1962 · as Marta
- A Grande Feira1961 · as Ely
- O Pátio1959 · as The woman
- Flesh—
- Lost Media— · as A Colecionadora
All TV Shows (3)
- Primavera nos Dentes – A História do Secos & Molhados2025 · as Self
- Tereza Batista1992 · as Maricota
- Era Preciso Voltar1969 · as Regina