Kleber Mendonça Filho says that ‘The Secret Agent’ was tailor-made for Wagner Moura: ‘Almost like a tailor’

Will ‘The Secret Agent’ win the Oscar? Producer breaks down strategy to reach the awards

In an interview with Estúdio CBN, the director commented on the inspirations behind the film, the cast, with emphasis on Tânia Maria’s performance, and reflected on the concepts of regionality and universality in his work.

Set in 1977, during the military dictatorship, The Secret Agent follows Marcelo (Wagner Moura), a researcher and technology specialist who returns to Recife amidst mysteries. Kleber Mendonça Filho explains that the story arose from the desire to work with Wagner, creating a character tailored to him, and from the experience of his previous film, “Retratos Fantasmas”, which explored memories and images of the city and the period.

“The first thing I wanted, and here comes the question of wanting to make the film, is to work with Wagner. I’ve been wanting to find a film to make with him for a few years. I specifically sat down and wrote this one for him, almost like a tailor, it’s tailor-made for Wagner.”

Tânia Maria shines in “The Secret Agent”

The film also highlights actress Tânia Maria, 78, who plays Sebastiana. Kleber praises the actress, stating that she was already a star before her debut, highlighting her natural charisma and impressive authenticity. The actress, born in Rio Grande do Norte, gained recognition for her participation in the film Bacurau and now shines in O Agente Secreto.

“Tânia Maria is a star. The film hasn’t even premiered yet and she’s already a star. She’s obviously an amazing person, we worked together on Bacurau, she had a line in Bacurau ‘what’s that outfit, boy?’ Everyone remembers this speech and what happened was something very interesting. I was writing this character, Sebastiana, and I just couldn’t help but think of Tânia, as if I were writing the role for her.”

Asked about the concept of regionality, Kleber Mendonça Filho comments that although his films incorporate cultural expressions from Recife and Pernambuco, his work has a universal character.

He stated that he never considered himself a regional filmmaker, but rather from Pernambuco and Brazilian, or Brazilian and Pernambuco. According to Mendonça, within Brazil itself, until the 1990s there was a strong concentration of media, television, drama and cinema in the South-Southeast axis, which led to any production outside this area being labeled as regional. However, he never saw himself that way.

“I never saw myself as anything regional. This thing about the regional and what is universal is very curious, because it is clear that if you take great examples from literature and cinema, if you tell a story and that story conquers the world, it will be universal. So, this Thursday, The Secret Agent is premiering in Brazil, Germany and Portugal. The 25th in the United States and the 17th of December in France. So, for me, it is a Brazilian film that is being shown all over the world and also in Brazil. Where Was this film made? In Pernambuco. But we are Brazilians.”

“The Secret Agent” premieres after awards and exhibition season

Before its preview and premiere, “The Secret Agent” went through a true and epic season. The film premiered in May at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was awarded Best Director and Best Actor. It then went to important international festivals, such as the one in Toronto, and toured Brazil at events such as the festivals in Brasília, CineBH, Festival do Rio and the São Paulo Film Festival.

With all this repercussion, Wagner Moura commented on the climate of expectation surrounding possible Oscar nominations, comparing it to the atmosphere surrounding I’m Still Here, winner of the Best International Film category this year.