Xica

Set in eighteenth-century Brazil, this comedy drama centres on Xica da Silva, a slave in the diamond-mining region of Minas Gerais. Ambitious, shrewd and sexually self-assured, she becomes the favoured companion of the wealthy Comendador João Fernandes, a much older man. From that position she accumulates influence and riches, effectively commanding the people who once owned her and spending freely against the Crown's interests. The film traces the romance and the social ascent that turns her into an unofficial power in the region, while the older man's household, including his young son José and the women around him, reacts to her rise.

Carlos Diegues directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Antonio Callado, and the film stands as the earlier of the two features Diegues directed, followed by God Is Still Brazilian in 2026. Zezé Motta plays Xica da Silva, with Walmor Chagas as João Fernandes, Altair Lima as the Intendente, Elke Maravilha as Hortência, Stepan Nercessian as José and Rodolfo Arena as Sargento-Mor, among a credited cast of twenty. Produced by Hélio Ferraz, José Oliosi and Airton Correa, it was made in Brazil by Embrafilme, Terra Filmes, Jarbas Barbosa Produções Cinematográficas and Distrifilmes, and runs 117 minutes.

The film holds a rating of 7 out of 10 on IMDb from 666 votes and the same score on TMDB from 22 votes. The two audiences thus agree on its standing, though the far larger IMDb sample carries more weight than the small TMDB one.