Alberto Cavalcanti

Designed sets for French experimental filmmakers in the 1920s and directed his first film in 1926, the experimental city symphony "Rien que les heures." Cavalcanti moved to England in 1934, making documentaries and later documentary-influenced features at Ealing Studios before returning to Brazil in 1949. His best British features show considerable stylistic flair; working within the traditions of British realism, he nonetheless brought surrealistic touches to the genuinely odd wartime drama "Went the Day Well?" (1942) and his striking contributions to the classic anthology horror film, "Dead of Night" (1945). The latter film showcased Cavalcanti's occasional penchant for the expressionistic, which was highlighted in his masterful foray into film noir, "They Made Me a Fugitive" (1947).