Humberto Mauro

Humberto Duarte Mauro (30 April 1897 – 5 October 1983) was a Brazilian film director. He is often considered the greatest director of early Brazilian cinema. Mauro's second feature film Thesouro Perdido (Lost Treasure) won the Brazilian "Film of the Year" award in 1927. Later that year, Phebo Sul America Film was reorganized into Phebo Brasil Film. The first film released under the new Phebo was Braza Dormida (Sleeping Ember). Braza Dormida was a boxoffice success and furthered Mauro's career as one of Brazil's leading directors.

In July 1929, Mauro's final film for Phebo Brasil Film, Sangue Mineiro (Blood of Minas Gerais), was shown in Cataguases. In 1930, the film was given a nationwide release. The film was critically and popularly acclaimed. This was the first film in which Mauro worked with Carmen Santos who would star in many of Mauro's later films. Phebo Brasil Film did not have the resources to continue to produce films. Adhemar Gonzaga offered Mauro a directing job for Cinédia, which was centered in Rio de Janeiro.

Gonzaga had started to shoot Lábios sem Beijos (Lips Without Kisses) which starred Carmen Santos. However, Carmen became pregnant was unable to finish production. Gonzaga handed the project over to Mauro, who both directed and photograpghed the film, in March 1930. Mauro decided to make the film silent even though sound was available.