motion-picture director who was a leading figure in Brazil's Cinema Nuovo (“New Cinema”).

Rocha's avant-garde films depict Brazil's history and upheavals in its social and political scene in a stylized, often violent manner. He began his career as a journalist and film critic, and his first short film, O Patio (1959), caught the attention of critics and prompted his rise to fame. Barravento (1961), his first feature, was followed with Deus e o Diabo na Terra do Sol (1964; “Black God–White Devil”), Terra em Transe (1967; “Earth Entranced”), and Antonie das Mortes (1969), all dealing with Brazil's political problems. Rocha was at odds politically with Brazil's rulers, and his conflicts with Brazilian authorities led to his leaving the country in 1970.

Rocha's book Revisao Critica do Cineman Brasiliero (1963; “Critical Review of Brazilian Cinema”) traces the history of Brazilian cinema in its many aspects. His later films, made abroad, include Claro (1975), Cabezas Cortadas (1970; Severed Heads), and A Idade da Terra (1982; The Age of the Earth).