Brazilian actor Wagner Moura featured in a Criterion Closet video, listing his favorite films. The recording tied to the campaign for 'O Agente Secreto', directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho and Brazil's Oscar 2025 entry. Moura praised Brazilian and international classics, spotlighting 'Deus e o Diabo na Terra do Sol' and 'Limite'.
Wagner Moura, famed for roles in productions like 'Narcos' and now 'O Agente Secreto', recorded a video for The Criterion Closet, a popular series from the Criterion Collection, an American film distribution company specializing in physical media. The iconic closet stocked with DVDs features cinema celebrities selecting and discussing favorite titles, gaining fame on social media.
In the video, released in November 2025, Moura chose works reflecting his admiration for Brazil's cinema novo and realist narratives. He started with 'Deus e o Diabo na Terra do Sol' (1964) by Glauber Rocha, a cinema novo classic that challenged the military dictatorship. 'It's a film full of social commentary and a very beautiful film. It's the film with the most beautiful poster of all time, in my opinion,' Moura said, also praising actor Othon Bastos, a fellow Bahian.
Another highlight was 'Limite' (1931) by Mário Peixoto, an influential experimental feature that subverted traditional narratives. 'I've never seen anything like this film,' the actor stated. Moura noted the DVD collection curated by Martin Scorsese, including national titles, and discussed 'Pixote, a Lei do Mais Fraco' (1980) by Héctor Babenco. He collaborated with Babenco on 'Carandiru' (2003), depicting life in São Paulo's prison and the 1992 massacre.
The list also includes 'Il Posto' (1961) by Ermanno Olmi, known as 'O Emprego' in Portuguese, about the working class; 'Memórias do Subdesenvolvimento' (1968) by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, set in a Cuba in crisis; and films by the Dardenne brothers: 'Rosetta' (1999) and 'The Kid with a Bike' (2011). On the Belgians, Moura said: 'They are my all-time favorite directors. They manage to talk about young people in a way no one else can. It's filmed so realistically that it dialogues with how Brazilians filmed their films in the cinema novo.'
The appearance underscores the global impact of Brazilian cinema, linking generations of filmmakers.