Quilombo (1984): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1984, Quilombo is a drama and history film directed by Carlos Diegues, running about 120 minutes.

What it’s about. Quilombo dos Palmares was a real-life democratic society, created in Brazil in the 17th century. This incredibly elaborate (and surprisingly little-known) film traces the origins of Quilombo, which began as a community of freed slaves. The colony becomes a safe harbor for other outcasts of the world, including Indians and Jews. Ganga Zumba (Toni Tornado) becomes president of Quilombo, the first freely elected leader in the Western Hemisphere. Naturally, the ruling Portuguese want to subjugate Zumba and his followers, but the Quilombians are ready for their would-be oppressors. The end of this Brave New World is not pleasant, but the followers of Zumba and his ideals take to the hills, where they honor his memory to this day. Writer/director Carlos Diegues takes every available opportunity to compare the rise and fall of Quilombo with the state of affairs in modern-day Brazil.

Who’s in it. Quilombo stars Tony Tornado as Ganga Zumba, Antônio Pompêo as Zumbi, Zezé Motta as Dandara and Maurício do Valle as Domingos Jorge Velho, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.6/10, Quilombo has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video with Ads and rent or buy it from Amazon Video. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Quilombo page.

If you liked it. Fans of Quilombo tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.