DANDDARA [12.28.1968] is a filmmaker, writer, singer, and forestry artist awarded in Brazil and the USA, born and raised to the Samba community of Rio. She attended The Feral University of Rio (History) and The New School in NY (Writing in English). Her career begins in 1985, in musical theater. She founds the Forestry Theater of Rio de Janeiro in 1988. Her first work in cinema happens this same year in feature doc Earth's song, which she co-executive produces. At RIO-92 Global Forum, she presents her solo concert Love to nature in a special event. In 1993 she moves to New York, to present Samba-Jazz concerts for the World-Music-Institute. In 1994 she is a Harvestworks Inc artist-in-residence with multimedia project Urban forestry carnival – a samba synthesis. Back to Rio in 1996 she writes her first scripts. In 2000, A Funeral at the samba school, her directing debut, introduces Black women as a subject in Brazilian cinema. A finalist at the 2002' HBO Short Film Award, she’s then revealed to the American audience as 'Brazil’s first Black female filmmaker'. In 2007 she has her TV directing debut in a Futura Channel Series. In 2008, she founds in Rio the Production Cia NOSSO CLAN. She moves upstate São Paulo in 2015, increasing her Visual Arts production. Series VESTALIDAS I - Desaparecidos [2106-2022], comprises 5 works derived from a photo-performance session. In Jan. 2018, her profile Self-image of a negro female filmmaker, is featured in the Filme Cultura Magazine #63. In December 2018, the Ministry of Culture awards her literary fiction. In 2019, she wins a production grant from SP State to make the creative doc IRON LADY creation in process - her second initiative to accomplish a first feature-length film.