Cléo de Verberena facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cleo de Verberena
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| Born |
Jacira Martins da Silveira
26 June 1904 Amparo, São Paulo, Brazil
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| Died | 6 October 1972 São Paulo, Brazil
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| Citizenship | Brazilian, Chilean |
| Occupation | Actress, film director, film producer |
| Children | César Augusto Melani |
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Cleo de Verberena (born Jacyra Martins da Silveira, June 26, 1904 – October 6, 1972) was a Brazilian actress and film director. She is famous for being the first Brazilian woman to direct a movie. Her groundbreaking film was called O Mistério do Dominó Preto (The Mystery of the Black Domino), released in 1931.
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Early Life and Love for Cinema
Cleo de Verberena was born Jacyra Martins da Silveira on June 26, 1904. She was born in a city called Amparo, in Brazil. In the 1920s, she moved to São Paulo, a big city in Brazil.
It was there that she discovered her passion for movies. She loved watching films and had favorite directors like von Stroheim and Fred Niblo. Her favorite actress was the famous Greta Garbo.
Starting a Film Studio
In São Paulo, Jacyra met Cesar Melani. They fell in love and got married. In 1930, they decided to start their own film studio. They named it EPICA-FILM. The studio was located in the Santa Cecilia area of São Paulo.
Jacyra chose her stage name, Cleo de Verberena. Her husband, Cesar, also picked an artist name, Laes Mac Reni. Together, they were ready to make movies.
Directing Her First Film
EPICA-FILM's first and only movie was O Mistério do Dominó Preto. This film was based on a book by Martinho Correa. Cleo de Verberena not only directed the movie but also starred in it as an actress. Her husband, Cesar, also helped with the production and acted in the film.
This movie made Cleo de Verberena a pioneer. She became the first woman in Brazil to direct a feature film. This was a huge step for women in cinema!
Life After Filmmaking
In 1932, Cleo and her family moved to Rio de Janeiro. They wanted to promote O Mistério do Dominó Preto and find more work in the film industry. However, O Mistério do Dominó Preto was her only film project. She did not work on other movies after that.
Sadly, Cesar Melani passed away in 1935. After his death, Cleo did not get involved with cinema anymore. A few years later, she married Francisco Landestoy Saint Jean, who was a consul from Chile. They moved to England and then to Chile.
Francisco died in 1953. Cleo then returned to São Paulo and lived there with her son, Cesar. Cleo de Verberena passed away on October 6, 1972, in São Paulo. Her work as a film pioneer is still studied today.
