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Date Te rā me te wā
09 Aug 2025
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Price Utu hoko
$19.00 - $26.00
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Location Te wāhi
The Civic -
More info He pārongo atu anō
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Following up his incendiary crowd-pleaser Bacarau and haunting cinema memory piece Pictures of Ghosts, iconoclastic Brazilian director Kleber Mendonca Filho scored the Best Director prize at Cannes with this rousing political thriller.
An extensive, deeply immersive recreation of the Brazilian dictatorship years through the eyes of a laconic, drifting secret agent holed up in Recife, the film ripples and shimmers with vibrant colour, action and innumerable absurd tangents, yet is constantly grounded by Wagner Moura’s soulful performance which earned him Best Actor at Cannes.
The scars of dictatorship are everywhere in The Secret Agent, as is the hovering spectre of political violence; as the film unfolds with the sprawl and confidence of a great novel, and said violence draws ever closer, the mystery of just who Moura’s Marcelo actually is, slowly comes into focus. “Wagner Moura makes a stunning return to Brazilian cinema in Kleber Mendonça Filho’s masterful period political thriller… Sure to be one of the best films of the year.” — David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter
Getting there Te huarahi ki reira
By car, head to The Civic car park near Queen Street where you’ll find plenty of affordable paid parking. By train, head to Britomart Station and walk up Queen Street for around 10 minutes to reach The Civic. Alternatively, take a bus to the Queen Street or Wellesley Street bus stops, which are both within a short walking distance.
Local tip He tīwhiri mō te rohe
Head to Stark’s Café and Bar for a pre-show cocktail, beer or wine. It opens 90 minutes before any show or event at The Civic.