During World War II, Carmen Miranda was one of the most recognizable Brazilian figures in the United States. With her zany performances, effervescent personality, and ostentatious costumes, she represented an image of Brazil as an exotic tropical paradise full of happy-go-lucky-people.
Miranda remains a complicated and prominent Brazilian figure, with her life explored in a documentary directed by Helena Solberg:
Carmen Miranda – Bananas is My Business (1995) Trailer
In the late 1950s, the film Black Orpheus provided a different image of Brazil for international audiences. Although Carmen Miranda, who was White and born in Portugal, could have been read as racially ambiguous by U.S. audiences, the cast of Black Orpheus was unmistakably of African heritage. The film portrayed a romantic retelling of the Orpheus- Eurydice legend set in a Rio de Janeiro favela during Carnival. Black Orpheus painted Brazil as a land of breathtaking landscapes, fun-loving people, and where racial tensions seemingly did not impact day-to-day interactions.
Black Orpheus (1959) Trailer – French with English Subtitles
Orfeu Negro (1959) Trailer – Portuguese