Keswick Film Festival

Synopsis

The volatility of South American politics has long been fertile ground for filmmakers and The Secret Agent is an exceptional addition to the genre, having been garlanded with awards at Cannes including Best Director and Best Actor.

Set in 1977 Brazil amid the revelry of Carnival, widower Marcelo (Wagner Moura) arrives in vibrant, violent Recife. A technology researcher who suddenly finds himself an unwitting target in the heart of the dictatorship's political maelstrom, Marcelo is on the run from mercenary killers and the ghosts of the past. Amid mounting threats, Marcelo, aided by compatriots in the country's growing underground resistance, remains focused on escaping Brazil with his young son.

"Such confident skill, combined with the richness of the narrative and the impressively fluid storytelling, renders the film riveting for all 158 minutes of its running time. One is tempted to call it a masterpiece." Sight and Sound