Photo: via Academia Brasileira de Cinema
Henrique Dantas
An attentive chronicler of Bahia’s artistic and political movements, the filmmaker brings the vibrancy of Black culture, music, and intellectual life in Bahia to the screen.
- Region
- Salvador, BA
Authorial vision
Henrique Dantas’s directorial vision is defined by the rediscovery and celebration of cultural and countercultural figures who have shaped Brazilian identity from Salvador. His documentaries combine refined visual craftsmanship, rhythmic editing, and in-depth biographical and sound research. He creates a cinema that celebrates ancestry, political resistance, and the creative vitality of the people of Bahia.
Filmography
- Jardim Dos Silencios
2026 · Film · Drama · Writer & Director · 93 min
After years in Italy, Tuã, a Black oncologist, returns to Brazil to confront his family’s past, marked by the military dictatorship. Navigating loss, silence, and memory, he embarks on a journey toward reconciliation and a sense of belonging.
- Dorivando Saravá, o Preto que Virou Mar
2019 · Documentary · Música · Writer & Director · 86 min
Singer, songwriter, actor, and painter, Dorival Caymmi was a multifaceted artist. What audiences may not know, however, is his pioneering role in bringing Candomblé into Brazilian popular music. Through a poetic reimagining of themes found in Caymmi’s life and work, the documentary reveals new dimensions of the artist through his own words, drawn from archival magazine interviews.
- A Bicicleta do Vovô - A série
2017 · Series · Família · Director
*Grandpa’s Bicycle* centers on the magical bond between Grandpa Rui and his grandson Cauê, as they navigate situations that blur the line between reality and imagination, filled with fun and fantasy.
- Filhos de João: O Admirável Mundo Novo Baiano
2009 · Documentary · Música · Writer & Director · 74 min
The story of Novos Baianos, one of Brazil’s greatest bands, whose most active period was the 1970s.
Are you this director or do you represent them?