Jacyra Martins da Silveira (26 June 1904 â€" 6 October 1972), known by
her stage name Cleo de Verberena, was a Brazilian actress and film
director. She is widely considered as the first Brazilian woman to
direct a film: 1931's O Mistério do Dominó Preto.Jacyra Martins
Silveira was born on June 26, 1904, in the city of Amparo. During the
1920s she moved to São Paulo. She fell in love with cinema; her
favorite directors were von Stroheim and Fred Niblo, and her favorite
actress was Greta Garbo.There she met Cesar Melani, the son of Ângelo
Melani and Amabile Facci, landowners of Franca, with whom she would
eventually marry and have one child, Cesar Augusto. In 1930, they
founded their studio, EPICA-FILM, in the district of Santa Cecilia, in
São Paulo. Jacyra adopted the artist name Cléo de Verberena, and
Melani called himself Laes Mac Reni.EPICA-FILM's first and only
production was O Mistério do Dominó Preto (The Mystery of the Black
Domino), based on the novel written by Martinho Correa. The feature
movie was directed by and starring Cléo de Verberena; her husband
also worked in the production and as actor. Cleo also worked on stage
plays with the ViaLáctea group during 1931.
her stage name Cleo de Verberena, was a Brazilian actress and film
director. She is widely considered as the first Brazilian woman to
direct a film: 1931's O Mistério do Dominó Preto.Jacyra Martins
Silveira was born on June 26, 1904, in the city of Amparo. During the
1920s she moved to São Paulo. She fell in love with cinema; her
favorite directors were von Stroheim and Fred Niblo, and her favorite
actress was Greta Garbo.There she met Cesar Melani, the son of Ângelo
Melani and Amabile Facci, landowners of Franca, with whom she would
eventually marry and have one child, Cesar Augusto. In 1930, they
founded their studio, EPICA-FILM, in the district of Santa Cecilia, in
São Paulo. Jacyra adopted the artist name Cléo de Verberena, and
Melani called himself Laes Mac Reni.EPICA-FILM's first and only
production was O Mistério do Dominó Preto (The Mystery of the Black
Domino), based on the novel written by Martinho Correa. The feature
movie was directed by and starring Cléo de Verberena; her husband
also worked in the production and as actor. Cleo also worked on stage
plays with the ViaLáctea group during 1931.
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