"Para Vigo Me Voy": Documentary about Cacá Diegues Premieres at Cannes on the Day the Filmmaker Would Have Turned 85

Film directed by Lirio Ferreira and Karen Harley honors one of the masters of Cinema Novo and reveals 60 years of Brazilian audiovisual history through the director's trajectory

Cena do filme 'Para Vigo Me Voy!'. — Foto: Divulgação

In a coincidence loaded with symbolism, the documentary "Para Vigo Me Voy," about the life and work of Cacá Diegues, had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday (19), exactly on the day when the Brazilian filmmaker, one of the masters of Cinema Novo, would have turned 85. The film, directed by Lirio Ferreira and Karen Harley, is part of the Cannes Classics section and represents the second Brazilian feature in the official selection of this edition of the festival.

The choice of the documentary for the showcase could not be more appropriate. As highlighted by the festival's general director, Thierry Fremaux, during the film's presentation, Cacá Diegues maintained a historic relationship with Cannes, having participated in the event on 12 occasions throughout his career: eight times as a director (competing three times for the Palme d'Or), three times as a juror, and once as a producer.

"Unfortunately, Cacá didn't get to watch the film. But it's an immense joy, it's very moving to see this whole trajectory and to have the film released here on his birthday," celebrated Karen Harley in a statement after the screening. Lirio Ferreira added: "Wherever he is, I think he's very happy with this premiere, with all this movement around the release of this film here."

The documentary, whose title references an expression used by José Wilker's character in the cult film "Bye Bye Brasil" (1980) – which also premiered at Cannes – brings together recent images and testimonials from the filmmaker, who passed away in February this year, as well as chronological excerpts from his films and interviews given over six decades of his career.

For Karen Harley, the reference in the title synthesizes "all of Cacá's magical universe, extremely playful, free, and joyful." But, as the co-direction emphasizes, Diegues' work was also essentially political: "He is one of Brazil's great thinkers, beyond being a filmmaker and chronicler. He fought hard for democracy in Brazil, for popular cinema, for consistent audiovisual policy and cinema in Brazil, (so that) Brazil would stop living through cycles of cinema."

Cacá Diegues actively participated in the filming of "Para Vigo Me Voy," giving interviews and opening the set of his last film, "God is Brazilian 2," to the documentary team. He was supposed to be present in Cannes for this world premiere, but passed away before seeing the completed film, leaving an invaluable legacy for Brazilian cinema.

By traversing Diegues' trajectory, the documentary also ends up revealing the last six decades of national cinema, its challenges, achievements, and transformations. From the times of Cinema Novo – a movement that sought a genuinely Brazilian language committed to social issues – to the present day, the filmmaker's career intertwines with the very history of audiovisual in the country.

Lirio Ferreira highlights that, beyond his artistic talent, Cacá leaves as a legacy his "generosity, intensity, and capacity for renewal," essential characteristics for facing the challenges that Brazilian cinema continues to encounter: "We are really living in times when the enemies are still the same in a different way. We always have to stay alert. And I think Cacá's example is significant for all of this."

"Para Vigo Me Voy" competes for the Golden Eye, the award for best documentary at the Cannes Film Festival, which ends on May 24. The other Brazilian feature in the official selection, "The Secret Agent," by Kleber Mendonça Filho, competes for the Palme d'Or, the festival's main prize.

For us at Névoa Filmes, the premiere of this documentary at Cannes represents not only a just tribute to one of the greatest names in Brazilian cinema but also a moment of reflection on the importance of preserving and celebrating our audiovisual memory. Cacá Diegues was a filmmaker who knew how to balance, like few others, the artistic and political dimensions of cinema, creating works that dialogued both with the audience and with the most urgent issues of his time.

At a time when Brazilian cinema is experiencing a period of international recognition, with a strong presence at festivals and awards around the world, revisiting the trajectory of one of its founding masters helps us better understand the path traveled and the challenges that still lie ahead. The legacy of Cacá Diegues, now immortalized in this documentary, will continue to inspire new generations of Brazilian filmmakers.

Sources:

• UOL: "Documentário sobre Cacá Diegues estreia em Cannes no dia em que cineasta completaria 85 anos," 05/20/2025

• Festival de Cannes: "Official Program of the Cannes Classics section," 05/2025

• RFI Brasil: "Interview with directors Lirio Ferreira and Karen Harley," 05/20/2025