Brazil has chosen The Secret Agent (O Agente Secreto), directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, as its submission for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards.
The Secret Agent is a Brazilian political thriller set in 1977 during the final years of Brazil’s military dictatorship. It follows Armando (also known by aliases like Marcelo), a former teacher who becomes a political refugee, attempting to escape persecution. He is sheltered by allies including Dona Sebastiana, alongside others facing similar dangers.
Starring in the movie are Wagner Moura, with Alice Carvalho, Gabriel Leone, Maria Fernanda Cândido, Isabél Zuaa, and Udo Kier among the ensemble.
Here is the official synopsis: Amid the raucous revelry of Carnival week, a widower named Marcelo (Wagner Moura) arrives in 1977 in Recife, Brazil, a city as vibrant as it is violent. A technology researcher who suddenly finds himself an unwitting target in the heart of the dictatorship’s political maelstrom, Marcelo is a man on the run from mercenary killers, from ghosts of the past and from the ruthless, mischievously militant spirit of Brazil in 1977. In the midst of these mounting threats, Marcelo, with the help of a mysterious woman named Elza and her compatriots in the country’s growing underground resistance, remains primarily focused on escaping Brazil with his young son.
The film premiered in the main competition section at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it won several awards: Best Director (for Kleber Mendonça Filho), Best Actor (for Wagner Moura), the Art House Cinema Award, and the FIPRESCI Prize. It opens in select US theaters on November 26 via Neon.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.