Black Orpheus, also known by its French title Orfeu Negro, is a 1959 romantic tragedy directed by Marcel Camus, a co-production of Brazil, France, and Italy that adapts a 1956 play by Vinicius de Moraes retelling the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in a Rio de Janeiro favela during Carnival. It won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and is especially noted for its bossa nova soundtrack by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfa, though Brazilian scholars have criticized the film for exoticizing Brazil and Afro-Brazilian culture.
Facts
Classification
Original Language AwardAcademy Award for Best International Feature Film 1 Release Year In the Other Atlases
- Also in Language Atlas: Portuguese, original language there.
Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikimedia FoundationBlack Orpheus, lead paragraph (Wikipedia), original language
While the film has been celebrated internationally, it has been criticized by some Brazilian film critics and scholars for exoticizing Brazil for an international audience, reinforcing stereotypes.
Wikipedia category, checked 2026-09-27
Category:Best International Feature Film Academy Award winners
View the Source 2. Black Orpheus (Wikipedia)
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