Bye Bye Brazil

Bye Bye Brazil

Year: 1980

Runtime: 110 mins

Language: Portuguese

Director: Carlos Diegues

Drama

Rejecting television, they leave the coast and venture into the Amazon. The Caravana Rolidei arrives, with the Gypsy Lord presenting magic tricks, Salomé’s sensual dance, and the mute Swallow’s strength feats. An enamored accordionist asks to join; the Lord agrees, and the musician and his pregnant wife, Dasdô, become part of the troupe.

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Timeline & Setting – Bye Bye Brazil (1980)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Bye Bye Brazil (1980). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

São Francisco River towns, Maceió, Altamira, Brasília

The caravan travels along the São Francisco River, performing in small towns and drawing crowds with magic, music, and spectacle. They make a detour to the Maceió coast to see the ocean, only to find there is little business. In Altamira they encounter a developing city that contrasts with the caravans' precarious finances, and later head toward Brasília in search of new prospects.

🌊 São Francisco River towns 🏝️ Maceió coast 🗺️ Altamira inland 🏙️ Brasília modern center

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:40

Main Characters – Bye Bye Brazil (1980)

Meet the key characters of Bye Bye Brazil (1980), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Leão-de-Chácara (Oscar Reis)

The caravan's master magician and de facto leader who wields charisma and control to anchor the troupe. He pursues money and status with a hard, calculating edge, negotiating the group's fortunes as they travel from town to town.

🎭 Charisma ⚖️ Power 💰 Money

Lorde Cigano (José Wilker)

The enigmatic head of the caravan who orchestrates the performances and exerts dominant control over the group. His showmanship masks a willingness to exploit others for profit, driving the caravan’s pursuit of fortune across Brazil.

🎭 Charisma ⚖️ Control 💰 Money

Ciço (Fábio Júnior)

An accordion player who joins the caravan seeking opportunity but becomes entangled in romantic conflicts with Salomé and Dasdô. His loyalty is tested as desires compete with the troupe’s collective survival.

🎶 Music 💘 Romance 🤝 Loyalty

Salomé (Betty Faria)

Exotic dancer and central figure in the caravan’s finances, using sex appeal to secure money while navigating the power dynamics aboard the caravan. She is both catalyst and survivor within the troupe's fragile economy.

💃 Dance 💰 Money 💔 Romance

Andorinha (Príncipe Nabor)

The mute strongman, a physically imposing presence who protects the caravan and embodies the harder, unspoken costs of a wandering life. His silence often contrasts with the loudness of the show.

💪 Strength 🤐 Silent

Dasdô (Zaira Zambelli)

Ciço's pregnant wife who joins the caravan and becomes aware of his affair with Salomé. She carries a quiet resilience, enduring the troupe’s shifting loyalties and the pressures of impending motherhood.

🤰 Pregnancy 💔 Suffering

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:40

Major Themes – Bye Bye Brazil (1980)

Explore the central themes of Bye Bye Brazil (1980), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🌟 Dreams

The caravan embodies a dream of fortune and fame through spectacle, pursued despite the hardships of poverty in the towns they visit. The film juxtaposes showmanship with economic struggle, suggesting that entertainment is both escape and instrument of survival. It questions whether spectacle can alter the social realities surrounding the travelers and their audiences.

🏗️ Progress

Television and new forms of modern life begin to reshape Brazilian communities even as drought and poverty persist. Altamira's development and the lure of El Dorado-like wealth reveal how modernization can be both alluring and destabilizing for rural economies. The caravan's performances become a mirror for the disruptive forces of progress.

💔 Loyalties

Relationships aboard the caravan are strained by money, desire, and power. Ciço's affair with Salomé and the pregnancy of Dasdô test loyalties and force hard choices. Leão-de-Chácara and Lorde Cigano wield leadership in ways that protect the group's survival but also expose its moral ambiguities. The dynamic between performers and dependents reveals how personal bonds endure or fracture under pressure.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:40

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Bye Bye Brazil Summary

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Bye Bye Brazil Summary

Bye Bye Brazil Timeline

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Bye Bye Brazil Timeline

More About Bye Bye Brazil

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