Death at the Festival
Actress Lea Garcia died at 91 on August 15 in Gramado, Brazil. Reports from G1 Sphere and later confirmations from the artist’s son, Marcelo, outlined the events surrounding her passing. Garcia is widely remembered in Russia for a villainous role in the TV series Slave Isaura, yet she built a prolific career with more than 100 film appearances, including the acclaimed Black Orpheus. That production earned the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and a Palme d’Or at Cannes.
Garcia participated in the 51st Gramado Film Festival, where she was recognized for her contributions to cinema with the Troféu Oscarito. On the night of August 15 she fell ill and sought medical help. Despite quick first aid, she could not be saved. The official cause of death was a heart attack.
During a farewell at the festival, organizers noted that Garcia helped break down the traditional barriers surrounding black actresses in international storytelling.
She continued acting up to the final days. On August 14, she confirmed plans to appear in a sequel to the soap opera Rebirth.
Bullying Isaura
In an interview, Garcia described Rosa from Slave Isaura as a defining character in her career. Yet the role brought real-life discomfort. In the plot, the cruel and jealous Rosa is a slave of Commander Almeida and schemes against Isaura. Garcia admitted that the fame brought hostile attention from passersby, with people taunting her on the street, breaking windows of her homes, and painting walls with profanity.
“I bought a lot. I am a person who enjoys visiting markets and fairs.”
She recalled one visit to a fair when, angered by the Isaura storyline, a seller bought a large fish and slapped her on the back. Garcia described the moment as tears followed by a sense of injustice and sorrow.
The cult of the series in the USSR
The series drew on the 1875 novel of the same name by Bernardo Guimarães. The book’s description highlights Rosa as visually striking among the enslaved population, with a slender, supple figure, a delicate face, and expressive eyes that hint at mischief and vitality. The original text also describes hair that could rival European aristocratic style, painting Rosa as a dramatic, almost mythic figure.
Garcia’s portrayal diverged from that literary image. Her Rosa carried a harsher relationship with Isaura, more biting and sardonic than the novel’s tone. The telenovela aired in Brazil from 1976 to 1977 but reached Soviet audiences only in 1988, where it quickly gained a devoted following. It was reissued in 1990 due to audience demand. The show left a cultural mark in the Soviet Union, influencing language and cultural references, including how certain suburban areas were described in slang terms inspired by the series.
In the series The Clone, Garcia portrayed Deusa da Silva’s aunt Lola, who serves as a surrogate mother to Leo, the teenage clone of Lucas.