Farkas, Thomas

At the age of 6, he immigrated with his parents to Brazil. He graduated as an engineer from the Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo. He earned his Ph.D. from the School of Communication and Arts at USP, the same institution where he also served as a professor. After the death of his father in 1960, he took over the management of the company Fotoptica, a role he held until 1987 when the store chain was sold. In 1968, he was arrested by the military regime on charges of collaborating with the guerrillas and was imprisoned for a week at the DOI-CODI. Between 1964 and 1981, he was a producer and co-producer of approximately 38 documentary films, directing three of them. Most of these films, especially those made between 1964 and 1974, were known as the "Farkas Caravan." Thomas or Thomaz continued producing until 1981, the time of the release of "Hermeto Champion," a documentary about the music of Hermeto Pascoal. Thomaz is recognized for his photographic production, having exhibited in the most important cultural centers and museums in Brazil and abroad. Alongside photographers such as German Lorca, Geraldo de Barros, José Medeiros, and Marcel Gautherot, he is one of the main exponents of modern photography in Brazil.