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"I Don't Like the Idea of Pure Cinema": Kleber Mendonça Filho Talks About THE SECRET AGENT at the 23rd FICM

Gustavo R. Gallardo

Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho held a press conference about his latest film, The Secret Agent, before the opening of the 23rd edition of the Morelia International Film Festival (FICM).

The year is 1977 in the Brazil of The Secret Agent. There, Marcelo, a technology expert and fugitive, arrives in Recife during Carnival looking for his son. But the city hides dangers that lie in wait for him.

“I don't like the idea of pure cinema; for me, there is no such thing as pure cinema,” said the filmmaker when asked about the mix of genres in his movie, which is the most expensive he has ever directed.

Accompanied by FICM General Director Daniela Michel, producer Emilie Lesclaux, and film critic Alonso Díaz de la Vega, the filmmaker discussed how difficult it was to “reconstruct” Recife to place it in that era. “It’s a collection of memories,” he emphasized.

Regarding the story, he revealed that he wrote the script in France and, although many said it bore similarities to Jair Bolsonaro's term in office, he did not see any.

“It was very clear to them; it was a very interesting thing to discover in the process (...) it was fetishistic, it was a political Halloween party,” he said.

UNAM Librart Medal

Since 1987, the UNAM Film Library has recognized figures and institutions in the film industry for their contribution to enriching the world's film heritage and keeping it alive in the collective memory.

This Friday, the director of the Film Library, Hugo Villa, presented Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho with the UNAM Film Library Medal, as part of the 23rd edition of the Morelia International Film Festival. “I am very moved by this tribute. It means a lot to me. I am very happy,” Mendonça said.