Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho, prominently known for his latest 2019 film “Bacurau,” has recently unveiled that his next project will be a political thriller movie titled “The Secret Agent.” The film stars Wagner Moura in the lead role, whose latest credit includes Alex Garland’s war film “Civil War.” This upcoming project by Filho will be introduced to buyers at the Cannes Film Market through MK2 Films. It is the same production banner that was behind the Oscar-winning film “Anatomy of a Fall.”
“The Secret Agent” is currently in pre-production and is being produced by Brazil’s Cinemascopio and MK Productions, whose credits include Oscar-nominated films such as Joachim Trier’s “The Worst Person in the World” and Pawel Pawlikowski’s “Cold War.”
What can be expected from Kleber Mendonça Filho’s new film?
Kleber Mendonça Filho is known for primarily making movies in the drama genre, often with elements of social and political commentary. His new project, “Secret Agent,” will also touch on the topic of politics as it is set in the late 1970s during the final years of Brazil’s military dictatorship. The director actually revealed the project last year, saying,
“The plot takes place in 1977, but it is not a dictatorship film: it is about the logic of Brazil. It’s a history film that takes place almost 50 years ago. I was nine years old at the time, the film comes from childhood memories. Pictures of Ghosts helped me unlock this film. You know that moment when you’re a little stuck with the script? These two films have a very strong connection, due to their immersion in the past. Because I did a lot of research and accessed the national library, which is even in the film. I saw old newspapers. And it’s very interesting to research the tone of the country. What I don’t want is to create a sweetened version of the country, because it’s a tendency, when the past is revisited, it tends to be reclassified in the present specifications. This film I think is going to be a little rough in that sense.”
Along with its rich historical context, the film will also weave in folklore elements, such as the Carnival festivities and urban legend.
As for Moura’s role in the film, he will portray the character named Marcelo, a university professor in his 40s who is on the run. He travels from São Paulo to the seaside city of Recife during Carnival week, hoping to reunite with his son. But he soon finds out he has been tailed and spied on by neighbors in his new refuge, leaving him no possible escape from the tentacles of corruption.
Apart from Moura, Filho’s film’s ensemble cast also includes Maria Fernanda Candido, whose latest acting credits include the 2019 film The Traitor.
The movie is expected to be released in 2025.
