Oscar nominations spark renewed talk about Brazil’s dictatorship
Brazilian audiences celebrated the nomination of “The Secret Agent” for four Academy Awards categories on Thursday, with some viewers saying the recognition reflects the rise of Brazilian cinema and its broader appeal. The nominations include best picture, best actor, best international film and achievement in casting.
The film’s rise also places Brazil alongside its record for Oscar nominations, according to the report, shared with the famed 2002 film “City of God” set in a favela in Rio de Janeiro. “The Secret Agent” follows a widowed father, played by Wagner Moura, who becomes a target of Brazil’s military dictatorship in the 1970s after standing up to a business owner with ties to the regime.
Director Kleber Mendonça Filho said in a video posted on social media on Thursday that more than one million spectators have seen the movie. The report also noted that Brazilian cinema is drawing fresh attention after last year’s box-office and Oscar success for “I’m Still Here,” which was nominated in three categories and won best international feature, giving Brazil its first Oscar.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on social media that the local film industry is currently “experiencing one of the best moments in its history.” He also said the nominations are “recognition of our culture and of Brazil’s ability to tell stories that move the world.”
Discussion of torture and disappearances
Both films are set during Brazil’s dictatorship era, observers told the Associated Press, and have helped fuel nationwide discussion about the period from 1964 to 1985, when people were tortured and disappeared. “I’m Still Here” is also set during that era, and the report said the two back-to-back successes are prompting people to talk about the country’s past through cinema.
Lúcia Espírito Santo, a 78-year-old retired lawyer, said she herself had to watch her words when studying law at university for fear of disappearing. “What we see in the film happened a lot. People would disappear and you didn’t know why. Friends of mine from college disappeared because they spoke out, they advocated for freedom and democracy,” she said as she left the cinema.
Sabrina Guimarães, a 20-year-old student at a university in Rio de Janeiro, said learning the country’s history is essential and that watching the events play out in a person’s perspective can be different from classroom lessons. “Even though we learn this stuff at school, we don’t spend much time on it and it’s not very specific. Feeling like you’re there in the person’s shoes, knowing what was happening at the time is very interesting,” she said. Guimarães added: “It’s good to understand what happened in the past so we don’t repeat these things in the future.”
“Universal” story drawn from Brazil’s turmoil
Mendonça Filho said the movie is a reaction to Brazil’s past decade of political turmoil, including former President Jair Bolsonaro’s far-right administration. He also said the film is meant to speak beyond Brazil. “The film is very Brazilian, but it’s also universal, so it can be used to discuss issues in the United States, in Europe or in Brazil,” Mendonça Filho said in an interview with the Associated Press on Thursday. He added: “The theme of power being used to crush people and social classes is a theme that’s current, not just historical.”
Casting director Gabriel Domingues, who was nominated in the new category of “achievement in casting,” said the support for “The Secret Agent” reflects enthusiasm for Brazilian cinema more broadly. “Brazilian cinema is really in a moment of intense emotion, beyond just excitement. People get very moved, with this participation in international events and awards and everything,” Domingues told the Associated Press, comparing it to Brazil’s atmosphere around soccer.
Ana Paula Sousa, an expert in cinema and teacher at ESPM University in Sao Paulo, said the Oscar achievements are changing Brazilians’ relationship with film in a country where movie attendance is historically low. She said people are now talking about Brazilian cinema and viewing it as something worth discussing, and that the successes could lead to steadier attendance. “People are talking about Brazilian cinema and thinking it’s cool to talk about it. (…) That’s something we didn’t see before, and it’s really great,” Sousa said, adding that she hoped the nominations would help spark more consistent moviegoing.
Lúcia Espírito Santo said she felt proud after seeing the film’s Oscar nominations. “We’re showing up, stepping onto the red carpet abroad,” she said. She added: “Brazil is starting to look like a producer of films, of well-told stories.”
Tatiana Pollastri contributed to this report from Sao Paulo.