"The Secret Agent" take place in Brazil during the 1977 military dictatorship. The film is written and directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho and follows Armando (Wagner Moura), a former professor caught in the political turmoil while attempting to flee persecution and resist the authoritarian regime.
The saturated colors convey the vibrancy and excitement of carnival season while increasing the underlying feeling of mystery and dread. Armando's predicament is slowly and deliberately revealed as he hides out with fellow political dissidents.
The opening scene at a gas station sets the film's mood with a mix of wry humor and dread in Brazil at that time.
Cinematographer Evgenia Alexandrova shot "The Secret Agent" with Arri's Alexa 35 — predominantly paired with vintage Panavision B Series anamorphic lenses — to help capture the setting's eye-popping colors and highlights. Serving as her own camera operator, she shot at nearly 360 degrees during much of the production.
“I like images that are dynamic and contain a lot of character, with some slightly overexposed and underexposed parts,” she says. “And [our lenses] offered a lot of character in the sense that they're imperfect; they have a lot of aberrations, so if I had blown-up windows in the frame, they would create a really big halo and a really big flare. We also used Panavision zooms where there is a contour line that has aberrations. It was something that Kleber and I found charming.”
https://theasc.com/articles/the-secret-agent-cinematography"The Secret Agent" was filmed in Recife, Pernambuco, the historic buildings adds authenticity to the story that also takes place in Recife. The film received a 13-minute long standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival and was the most awarded film in the festival. It competed for the Palme d'Or winning the Best Actor prize for Wagner Moura and the Best Director prize.
The Secret Agent Academy Award Nominations:
Best Actor: Wagner Moura
Casting: Gabriel Domingues
International Film Feature: Brazil
Best Picture: Emilie Lesclaux, Producer
Dialog in Portuguese with English subtitles.
Watch the trailer:
https://youtu.be/m7LAcHmtSsQ 
