Armando (Wagner Moura) is a widowed father and former professor living in the shadow of the Brazilian military dictatorship in 1977. As the regime’s grip tightens, Armando finds himself entangled in a dangerous web of political turmoil. Seeking refuge in the coastal city of Recife, he encounters various figures – including a mysterious European (Udo Kier, in his final film role) – and must continually resist an authoritarian system that demands total conformity while being shadowed by unseen forces and anonymous threats.

The Secret Agent is a tense political thriller which takes audiences through a dark chapter of Brazilian history; a masterfully controlled study of fear, surveillance, and the erosion of personal freedom. Directed Kleber Mendonça Filho (Aquarius), the film features an electrifying performance by Wagner Moura, who won Best Actor at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and is similarly nominated in the same category at this year’s Oscars – alongside nods for Best Picture, Best Casting and Best International Film.