In an interview on 'The Daily Show', Brazilian actor Wagner Moura ironically thanked former president Jair Bolsonaro for motivating the creation of the film 'O Agente Secreto', set during the 1977 military dictatorship. Moura explained that the far-right government from 2018-2022 revived echoes of the authoritarian past, driving the production directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho. The film, which won two Golden Globes, is racking up nominations in international awards.
Wagner Moura, the lead in 'O Agente Secreto', appeared on 'The Daily Show' with Jordan Klepper on January 16, 2026. During the discussion, the Brazilian actor linked the film's origins to Jair Bolsonaro's government, elected in 2018. "When we elected a far-right president in 2018, that man was like a physical manifestation of those echoes," Moura said, referring to the remnants of Brazil's military dictatorship, which ended in 1985.
Moura stated that without Bolsonaro, the film would not have been made. "Without him, we never would have made this movie. The film is born from the shared perplexity between me and director Kleber Mendonça Filho about what was happening in Brazil from 2018 to 2022," he explained. He mentioned having ironically thanked Bolsonaro at a Cannes award. The film, directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, is set in 1977 in Recife, following Marcelo, a professor who returns to the city undercover to rescue his son amid the dictatorship's oppression.
The interview also addressed the 1979 Amnesty Law, which forgave torturers and killers, harming Brazil's collective memory. Moura criticized the law, stating: "That was very bad for our collective memory or its loss. There are things that cannot be forgotten, that cannot be forgiven." He contrasted Brazil, which punished the January 8, 2023, invaders and imprisoned Bolsonaro, with the United States after January 6, 2021.
Meanwhile, 'O Agente Secreto' continues its awards push. The film earned ten nominations at the International Cinephile Society Awards, including best film, direction, actor for Moura, and supporting actress for Tânia Mari. It is the second-most nominated production, behind only Paul Thomas Anderson's 'Uma Batalha Após a Outra' with 12 nods. Producer Lucy Barreto rebutted controversies over public funding, clarifying that Brazilian cinema is supported by contributions established in the Geisel era, not from the public budget.
