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Alberto Cavalcanti

Alberto Cavalcanti

Director, producer and editor · Died August 23, 1982, aged 85 · Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Alberto de Almeida Cavalcanti was a Brazilian-born film director and producer. He was born in Rio de Janeiro, the son of a prominent mathematician. He was a precociously intelligent child, and by the age of 15 was studying law at university. Following an argument with a professor he was expelled. His father sent him to Geneva, Switzerland on condition that he did not study law or politics. Cavalcanti chose to study architecture instead. At 18 he moved to Paris to work for an architect, later switching to working on interior design. After a visit back to Brazil he took up a position at the Brazilian consulate in Liverpool, England. Cavalcanti corresponded with Marcel L'Herbier, a leading light in France's avant-garde film movement. This led to a job offer from L'Herbier for Cavalcanti to work as a set designer. So, in 1920 he left his job at the Consulate and moved back to France to work for L'Herbier; he was to be involved in the making of numerous films, the most notable being L'Inhumaine. He was soon making his own films, in 1926 directing his first, Rien Que les Heures (Nothing But Time) — a day in the life of Paris and its citizens. In 1927 he collaborated with Walter Ruttmann on a similar project set in Berlin, called Berlin: Die Sinfonie der Großstadt (Berlin: Symphony of a Big City). Cavalcanti took a job with Paramount's French studios after the talkies came in, but he found himself making more commercial films which could not hold his interest and left Paramount in 1933. In the same year he returned to England to work for John Grierson's GPO Film Unit. He was involved in many capacities, from production to sound engineer. He was to spend seven years at the GPO Film Unit, working on many projects. Much of his work at the GPO was uncredited, he acted as a mentor to many new film makers, but in 1937 he was appointed acting head of the GPO Film Unit when Grierson left for Canada. When told that the only way the position could become permanent was to become a naturalized British citizen, he decided to leave the unit. In 1940 Cavalcanti joined Ealing Studios, under the leadership of producer Michael Balcon. He worked as an art editor, producer and director. His most notable works of this period (many of them propaganda films) were Yellow Caesar (1941), Went the Day Well? (1942), Three Songs of Resistance (1943), Champagne Charlie (1944), Dead of Night (as co-director) (1945) and Nicholas Nickleby (1947). In 1946 Cavalcanti left Ealing over a dispute about money. He went on to direct three more films in the UK, before returning to Brazil in 1950. In Brazil he worked as a producer for Companhia Cinematográfica Vera Cruz; the company eventually became insolvent. After being blacklisted as a communist in Brazil, he decided to move back to Europe in 1954. He eventually settled in France, where he continued his work in television. He died in Paris in 1982 at the age of 85.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 6, 1897
Died
August 23, 1982 (aged 85)
From
Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Works as
Director, producer and editor
Titles
8 on MovieCove · 94 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Up 46% in 30 days

What are Alberto Cavalcanti's films like?

Across their 7 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Society.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
29%
Society
23%
Survival
17%
Bonds
15%
Self
8%
Ideas
8%
Community3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 7 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 3 · Serious 1 · Dark 3

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 4 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 2 · Charged 3 · Intense 2

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 5 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 2 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 4 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
4
Warm
4
Dread
2
Melancholic
3
Thrilling
2
Other
5

How their films linger

Feel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet3
  • Tragic1
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Alberto Cavalcanti's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 8 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Alberto Cavalcanti's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

94 credits, 8 with a MovieCove page; 6 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • La visite de la vieille dame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Director

  • Brasília, segundo roteiro de Alberto Cavalcanti (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Screenplay

  • Le Voyageur du silence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Director

  • Um Homem e o Cinema (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Director · as Self

  • Lettres de Stalingrad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Astronomer

  • The Monster of Highgate Ponds(1961)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Herr Puntila and His Servant Matti (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Venetian Honeymoon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Director

  • The Wind Rose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Director · Screenplay

  • A Real Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Director · Idea

  • Song of the Sea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

  • Simon the One-Eyed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Director · Writer

  • Volta Redonda (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Producer

  • Angela (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Writer

  • Santuário (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Producer

  • Terra é Sempre Terra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Producer

  • Painel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Producer

  • Caiçara (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Producer · Story

  • For Them That Trespass (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Director

  • The First Gentleman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Director

  • I Became a Criminal(1947)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby(1947)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Dead of Night(1945)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Champagne Charlie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Director

  • The Halfway House(1944)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Three Songs of Resistance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Director

  • Greek Testament (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Producer

  • The Sky’s the Limit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Director

  • Went the Day Well?(1942)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Foreman Went to France (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Associate Producer

  • Alice in Switzerland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Director

  • Film and Reality (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Director

  • Find, Fix and Strike (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Producer

  • Yellow Caesar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Director

  • Mastery of the Sea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Director

  • Young Veteran (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Director · Producer

  • Sea Fort (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Producer

  • French Communique (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Director

  • La Cause Commune (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Director

  • Salvage with a Smile (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Associate Producer

  • A Midsummer Day's Work (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Director

  • Cargoes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Producer

  • Health of a Nation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Director · Producer

  • Men in Danger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Producer

  • Men of the Alps (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Director

  • Spare Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Producer

  • The Chiltern Country (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Director

  • The First Days (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Producer

  • North Sea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Producer

  • N or NW (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Producer

  • Speaking from America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Producer

  • Happy in the Morning: A Film Fantasy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Director · Producer · Script

  • Mony a Pickle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Director

  • We Live in Two Worlds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Director

  • Daily Round (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Producer

  • Line to the Tschierva Hut (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Director · Writer

  • Who Writes to Switzerland? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Director

  • Message from Geneva (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Director

  • Night Mail(1936)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • BBC: The Voice of Britain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Producer

  • The King's Stamp (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Producer

  • Coal Face (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Director · Writer

  • The Song of Ceylon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Sound Supervisor

  • Granton Trawler (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Sound Designer

  • The Glorious Sixth of June (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Director

  • Coralie and Company (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Director

  • Pett and Pott: A Fairy Story of the Suburbs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Director · Editor · Writer · as J. Leviticus (uncredited)

  • Montmartre qui tourne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Director

  • New Rates (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Director

  • Le mari garçon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Director

  • Plaisirs défendus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Director

  • The Brazilian thing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Director

  • Tour of Song (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Director

  • Halfway Up the Sky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Director

  • The Devil's Holiday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Director

  • In a lost island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Director

  • Toute sa vie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Director

  • Little Red Riding Hood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Director · Adaptation · Editor

  • A Canção do Berço (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Director

  • Captain Fracasse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Director

  • Train Without Eyes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Director

  • Yvette (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Director · Writer

  • Sea Fever (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Director · Editor · Screenplay

  • La P’tite Lili (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Screenplay

  • The Little People (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Production Design

  • La jalousie du barbouillé (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Director · Editor · Screenplay

  • Nothing But Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Director · Editor · Writer

  • Essais d'acteurs : Ève Francis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Director

  • The Late Mathias Pascal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Art Direction · Assistant Director

  • L'inhumaine(1924)

    Art Direction

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The Gallery of Monsters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Assistant Director

  • The Flood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Production Designer

  • Résurrection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Production Design

  • El Dorado (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Costume Design

Career shape

A full career of 92 titles from 1921 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Went the Day Well? (1942)

$47K worldwide

Highest rated

Went the Day Well? (1942)

Midcredits 92nd

Most popular right now

Dead of Night (1945)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting2 of 92: 1 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting60 of 92: 43 only directing, 17 with another role · typical Midcredits score85thWriting17 of 92: 2 only writing, 15 with another roleProducing25 of 92: 19 only producing, 6 with another roleEditing6 of 92: 0 only editing, 6 with another roleOther crew10 of 92: 9 only other crew, 1 with another role

92 titles, 18 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 5 of them.

By decade

1920s15 · crew1930s38 · 1 acting · 38 crew1940s21 · crew1950s11 · crew1960s2 · crew1970s3 · 1 acting · 2 crew1980s1 · crew2020s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Alberto Cavalcanti's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 81st percentile, the median of all 8; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 74th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Approval · how many liked their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Reach · how many have seen their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Midcredits score across 8 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th1

Shape of the crowd

None of their 8 titles divides audiences: 5 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Mixed1

Most loved · director

Went the Day Well? (1942)

Midcredits 92nd · 81% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 76/100 and the pacing 60/100 in their films, across 7 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Alberto Cavalcanti work with?

People who share at least 2 of Alberto Cavalcanti's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Michael Balcon shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers