The film surpassed the other two main contestants, “Manas”, the film debut of Marianna Brennand, and “The Blue Trail”, a story of awakening in Gabriel Mascaró’s adult life.
Brazil selected The thriller set in the 70s of the director Kleber Mendonça Filho“The secret agent “as its official entrance for the category of best international film in the 98th Academy Awards.
The presentation was announced Monday by the Brazilian Film Academy, after a decision made by a 15 -member selection committee.
The secret agent, winner of the Cannes Festival and starring Wagner Mouraprotagonist of Narcossurpassed the other two main contestants, Manasthe film debut of Marianna Brennandand The Blue Traila story of awakening in the adult life of Gabriel Mascaró.
After winning the country’s first Oscar for the moving drama of last year I’M Still Here de Walter Salles, until the end of last month, experts and industry professionals were sure that the committee would present the secret agent, acquired by Neon.
Controversy in Brazil for the film chosen to compete for the Oscar
However, on September 5, Manas received a great boost when the incorporation of Sean Penn as executive producer. Penn joined the director of I’M Still Here, Walter Salles; to the three winners of the Golden Palm of Cannes, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne; Already the producer of I’M Still Here, Maria Carlota Brunoas executive producers of Manas. Penn had promoted with great success I’M Still Here in Hollywood last year. Julia Roberts and Penn presented a projection of Manas in Los Angeles on Saturday.
Adding a controversy note to the debate, last Thursday, almost 70 large companies and institutions in Brazil, many of them led by women, issued an open letter supporting Manas’s candidacy.
Your support is due to the film’s approach. Set in a seemingly idyllic riverside village of the Amazon jungle, “Manas” tells Marielle’s rebellion, 13, against a cycle of generalized sexual abuse in his own family and in the traffic of minors in river barges.
The letter sought to “expand the public debate on the subject and awaken society about the urgency of facing it,” he said.
Among the signatories were Luiza Helena Trajan, president of the important retail company Magazine Luiza; Marize Mattosdirector of sponsorships of the Global Mining Company Vale, and Paulo Samia, CEO of UOL, the largest company, technology, services and means of payment in Brazil.
An argument in favor of Manas was that the secret agent had good chances of obtaining Oscar nominations in other categories. The American distributor Neon has already promised a complete awards campaign for this period drama, urging the 11,000 academy members to consider it in all categories, including the best film.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
