Alex Viany

(1918 - 1992)

Almiro Viviani Fialho (1918 — 1992), better known as Alex Viany, was a Brazilian director, producer, screenwriter, author, journalist and actor. He is the author of the book Introduction to Brazilian Cinema (1959), cited by Paulo Emílio Sales Gomes as the first work of Brazilian filmography. He also wrote The Cinema Novo Process. He debuted as a director in 1953, in the feature film "Agulha no Palheiro". In 1954, he directed "Rua sem Sol", which received the São Paulo State Governor's Award for best director, best actor for Carlos Alberto and best actress for Glauce Rocha (1930-1971). In 1955, he directed “Ana”, an episode of the feature film "A Rosa dos Ventos" (1954-1957), produced by the Communist Party of East Germany, organized by Dutch filmmaker Joris Ivens (1898-1989). In 1963, he directed "Sol sobre a Lama", shot in Bahia and under the influence of Cinema Novo. He made the last feature film of his career, only in 1978, with "A Noiva da Cidade". He directed the short films A Máquina e o Sonho (1974), Humberto Mauro: eu Coração Dou Bom (1979) and Maxixe, a Dança Perdida (1980).