The Brazilian film “The Secret Agent”, directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, was selected for the 78th Cannes Festival and will compete for the Golden Palm. The announcement was made on Thursday (10) in Paris, by the president and the festival director, Iris Knobloch and Thierry Frémaux, respectively. The French festival, one of the most important in the world, will be held from May 13-24 in Cannes, on the coast of France.
This will be the world premiere of Kleber Mendonça Filho, also director of acclaimed films, such as “Aquarius” (2016), which had its first world screening in 2016 in Cannes, and “Bacurauu” (2019). Both competed for Cannes Golden Palm, the festival’s main prize.
During the presentation of “Aquarius”, the film team protested against the temporary removal of the then President of the Republic Dilma Rousseff.
At the time, when climbing the red carpet, accompanied by Brazilian actresses Maeve Jinkings and Sônia Braga, held posters with phrases such as “a coup d’état occurred in Brazil”, “Brazil lives a coup d’état”, “The world cannot accept an illegitimate government” and “54,501,118 of burned votes!”. They also accompanied the director of the film the actress Barbara Colen, by producer Emilie Lesclaux, and guests.
A few days earlier, the Senate had approved the admissibility of Dilma’s impeachment process, departing from office for up to 180 days until the merits of the matter was voted.
Already “Bacurau”, by Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles, won, in 2019, the Jury Award at the Cannes Festival. The film was first, drawing with the French production “Les Misérables” (“The Miserables”), by Ladj Ly. The Brazilian film is spent in a village in the backlands, called Bacurau, and has as its milestone the death of a known resident, Dona Carmelita. From this episode, the plot develops awakening unexpected events.
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Another film by Kleber Mendonça Filho, “Ghost Portraits” (2023), was chosen as representative of Brazil in the Oscar dispute for best international film in 2024. In 2013, the Brazilian Cinema Academy had already nominated “The Sound A surround” of the same director for the dispute.
Celebration
On a social network, Kleber Mendonça Filho celebrated the choice of the movie to compete for the Golden Palm.
“‘The Secret Agent’ will have his world debut at the cannes festival in competition, was now announced in Paris. I think about the extraordinary team and the unforgettable footage we had last year. And in the marvel and Wagner Moura, great actor, star and person,” said Mendonça Filho. The film opens in Brazil in the second half.
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Starring Wagner Moura, the film takes place in the 1970s and tells the story of Marcelo, a university professor who runs away from Sao Paulo to Recife to escape government agents who seek him for subversive activities. In the director’s words, the film unites mystery and suspense, having Recife as the main scenario.
Also part of the cast Maria Fernanda Cândido, Gabriel Leone, Isabel Zuaa, Rubens Santos, Laura Lufési, Alice Carvalho, Udo Kier, Thomás Aquino, Suzy Lopes, Buddha Lira, Carlos Francisco and Wilson Rabelo.
Selected for the competitive show
- Opening Movie: From UN Jour, by Amélie Bonnin, who does not participate in the competition
- Wes Anderson’s Fenício scheme
- Eddington, by Ari Aster
- Jeunes Mères, by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne
- Alfa, by Julia Ducournau
- Renoir, from Chie Hayakawa
- The History of Sound, by Oliver Hermanus
- La Petite Dernière, from Hafsia Herzi
- Sirat, by Oliver Laxe
- New Vague, by Richard Linklater
- Two prosecutors, by Sergei Loznitsa
- Fuori, by Mario Martone
- The Secret Agent, by Kleber Mendonça Filho
- Dossier 137, from Dominik Moll
- UN’s simple accident, by Jafar Panahi
- The Master, by Kelly Reichardt
- Eagles of the Republic, by Tarik Saleh
- Sound of fall, by mascha schilinski
- Romaria, by Carla Simón
- Sentimental value, by Joachim Trier.
The Promise Payer
In 1962, the movie “The Payer of Promises”, directed by Anselmo Duarte, won the Golden Palm in Cannes. The film was an adaptation of the work of the same name as playwright Dias Gomes. In the cast were Leonardo Villar, Gloria Menezes, Norma Bengell, Dionísio Azevedo and Geraldo Del Rey.