Wagner Moura in a scene from "The Secret Agent" by Kleber Mendonça Filho. (Credit: Victor Juca)
Kleber Mendonça Filho has a soft spot for sharks. The Brazilian filmmaker is attuned to the territory the predator patrols in popular culture, and its particular resonance in coastal towns. His home town of Recife, say, or Beirut.One memorable scene in “Neighborhood Sounds,” Mendonça Filho’s 2012 debut feature, is set on a nighttime beach in Recife, with surf pounding the shore. A young man sees a sharp-eyed older gent in swim trunks and Havaianas walking to the water. Amused, he asks the white-headed man if he plans to swim in this weather. “Every night,” replies with a calm smile.The camera pans past the humans, pausing at a red sign, cautioning innocent beachgoers that sharks swim these waters. As the film unfurls, and we get to know this old gentleman, the warning lingers. Another must-see at Metropolis ‘Sirāt’ at Metropolis:...
Kleber Mendonça Filho has a soft spot for sharks. The Brazilian filmmaker is attuned to the territory the predator patrols in popular culture, and its particular resonance in coastal towns. His home town of Recife, say, or Beirut.One memorable scene in “Neighborhood Sounds,” Mendonça Filho’s 2012 debut feature, is set on a nighttime beach in Recife, with surf pounding the shore. A young man sees a sharp-eyed older gent in swim trunks and Havaianas walking to the water. Amused, he asks the white-headed man if he plans to swim in this weather. “Every night,” replies with a calm smile.The camera pans past the humans, pausing at a red sign, cautioning innocent beachgoers that sharks swim these waters. As the film unfurls, and we get to know this old gentleman, the warning lingers. Another must-see at Metropolis ‘Sirāt’ at...
