"With The Secret Agent by Kleber Mendonça Filho, we are awarding a film that masterfully combines political impact, visual brilliance and narrative depth, celebrating the art of cinema. Wagner Moura captivates in a nuanced, intense lead role that carries the film and gives it immense emotional power. Kleber Mendonça Filho and cinematographer Evgenia Alexandrova create visually captivating images, and the 160 minutes fly by. This is what outstanding cinema is: it captivates, moves and resonates long after the credits roll. The Secret Agent is not only a portrait of a dark era in Brazil but also an example of how arthouse cinema combines social relevance with cinematic intensity and artistic precision. The Secret Agent is simultaneously a thriller, a political portrait, and a sensitive story of remembrance. The film stays with the audience not only in the mind but also in the heart: it prompts reflection on politics and memory, fear and courage, art, cinema, and resistance. This is exactly what defines arthouse cinema."
