‘The Secret Agent’ earns 4 Oscar nominations, boosting Brazilian cinema

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilians celebrated the nomination of “The Secret Agent” film to four Oscar categories on Thursday, which many said confirmed the rise of Brazilian cinema and its universal appeal.

“The Secret Agent” — nominated for best picture, best actor, best international film and achievement in casting — now shares Brazil’s record for nominations, alongside the famed 2002 film “City of God” set in a favela in Rio de Janeiro.

“The Secret Agent” follows a widowed father — played by Wagner Moura — who becomes a target of Brazil’s military dictatorship in the 1970s simply because he stands up to a business owner with ties to the regime.

Director Kleber Mendonça Filho said that more than one million spectators have seen the film, in a video posted on social media Thursday following the nominations.

Last year, Brazilian feature film “I’m Still Here” was also a box office success, drawing millions of moviegoers. It was nominated in three categories and won best international feature, giving Brazil<...