Moreno
Acting
Biography
Antônio Ignácio da Silva (Tacaratu, November 1, 1909 – Belo Horizonte, September 6, 2010), better known by the nickname Moreno, was a bandit belonging to the gang of Lampião and Maria Bonita. After their deaths, he fled Pernambuco and adopted the pseudonym José Antônio Souto, settling in Minas Gerais. He was one of the longest-lived members of the gang and one of the last to die.
Known For
Scenes from the daily life of Virgulino Ferreira da Silva—the cangaceiro leader Lampião—and his group, captured by cinematographer Benjamin Abrahão. Their survival strategies in the sertão landscape, their gestures, habits, clothing, and diet are illustrated. Proud of their status, the group's main members are shown displaying their weapons and combat skills in the caatinga. Maria Bonita and Lampião appear in moments of tension and relaxation, highlighting the harmony of the band and, above all, the rigors of life as a cangaceiro. (Cinemateca Brasileira)
Lampião, o Rei do Cangaço
For more than 50 years, Durvinha and Moreno hid their real identity even to their own children, who grew up thinking their parents' names were Jovina Maria and Jose Antonio Souto. They had belonged to the gang of the most famous Brazilian bandit's leader. The truth was revealed when Moreno, at the age of 95, decided to share the weight of memories with his children and meet alive relatives, including his first child. The 'cangaceirismo' was a form of 'social banditry' born in northeastern Brazil in the early XX century in a scenario of extreme poverty, violence and anarchy.