A New Yorker report explores how Brazilian fans' fervor on social media boosts national films' Oscar success. The piece links the phenomenon to 'Ainda Estou Aqui''s win last year and 'O Agente Secreto''s nominations this year. However, the film has received mixed reviews, including a negative assessment in a Spanish newspaper.
The American magazine The New Yorker published on Friday (20) a report by Michael Schulman titled "'Come to Brazil?' The Oscars Just Might", analyzing the impact of Brazilian online fandom on the country's Oscar highlights. The text notes how fans filled nomination broadcast chats with Brazilian flag emojis, supporting 'O Agente Secreto', directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho and starring Wagner Moura, which competes in four categories, including best film and best actor. This follows the success of 'Ainda Estou Aqui', last year's winner, which created a World Cup atmosphere during Carnival.
Schulman attributes the phenomenon to high Brazilian social media activity — the country is the third largest TikTok user, behind the US and Indonesia — and a fervent fan culture. He interviews journalists, critics, and producer Rodrigo Teixeira from 'Ainda Estou Aqui', who comment on Brazilians' strength in celebrating and criticizing. Examples include mobilization against actress Karla Sofía Gascón from 'Emilia Pérez' after she suggested sabotage by Fernanda Torres' team, and against director Oliver Laxe from 'Sirât' for calling Brazilians jingoistic.
The author provides historical context, referencing the 'vira-lata complex' coined by Nelson Rodrigues in the 1950s, about seeking external validation, common in soccer and now in culture. An opening for international voters came after the #OscarsSoWhite campaign, increasing nominations for foreign works.
Fernanda Torres praised the piece on social media: "Wonderful article about Brazilian cinema, our social media power, our crises, our relevance in this crazy moment of humanity, and the national pride of this nation of caramels".
In contrast, 'O Agente Secreto' received negative criticism from Carlos Boyero in El País, in Spain, where it premiered on February 20. Boyero called the film long and unstimulating, questioning the plot about a professor fleeing São Paulo to hide in Recife during the dictatorship. He acknowledged presence in Moura's acting but criticized empty stylistic pretensions. Despite this, the film has general positive reception, with wins at the Golden Globe, Critics Choice, and Cannes.
