‘The Secret Agent’ Breakout Tânia Maria to Star in ‘Sábado Morto’

“The Secret Agent” breakout Tânia Maria has joined Leonardo Lacca’s “Sábado Morto” (“Dead Saturday,” in literal translation). Produced by Kleber Mendonça Filho and Emilie Lesclaux’s banner Cinemascópio, the film stars Jesuíta Barbosa (“Latin Blood – The Ballad of Ney Matogrosso”) and is currently being filmed between Recife and the Pernambuco countryside in Brazil. 

“Sábado Morto” centres around a medical resident in Recife who is forced by an unexpected event to return to his hometown in the backlands of Pernambuco after years away. There, he reunited with his mother, Terezinha, who is determined to find answers to the mysteries of recent events. Amid memories and unease, secrets begin to emerge. The story will be shot across five weeks between the capital of Recife and the Arcoverde region, in the countryside of Pernambuco. The cast also includes Malu Falangola, Múcia Teixeira, and Matteus Cardoso.

The film marks Lacca’s third directorial effort, following “Permanência” and “Seu Cavalcanti,” and the third collaboration between the director’s label Trincheira Filmes and Cinemascópio. Lacca has worked as a director, screenwriter, and acting coach for 20 years, serving as an assistant director on Kleber Mendonça Filho’s “Bacurau” and “The Secret Agent,” as well as working as an acting coach on his other two fiction feature films: “Aquarius” and “Neighboring Sounds.” 

Oscar-nominated Lesclaux said it has been “very special” to see the universe of the film come to life,” with Lacca adding it’s been wonderful to collaborate with the producer once more. “We are experiencing a very intense and beautiful process,” he added. “We are even more excited for the next phase of filming in the spectacular Pernambuco backlands.”

Tânia Maria’s first onscreen role came as an extra with one line in “Bacurau.” Her meatier character Dona Sebastiana in “The Secret Agent” has been lovingly embraced by Brazilians and fans across the world, with her performance earning awards and accolades during the film’s successful run. Maria is collaborating with Lacca for the first time, having acted in “Seu Cavalcanti” and the series “Delegado,” still to premiere on Canal Brasil. 

“Working with Tânia is always wonderful,” gushed Lacca. “It’s great to film with her again and with a character whose path is so different from what she’s done before. It’s wonderful to see how versatile she is. Her presence lights up the set and everyone is charmed and captivated by her. We’ve gained intimacy and built a grandmother-grandson relationship. There’s so much beauty in this transformation of her life, in her discovery as an actress, that it ends up spilling over into our personal relationships as well.” 

“Sábado Morto” is a co-production between Brazil’s Cinemascópio and Trincheira Filmes with Chile’s Planta which has three titles selected for this year’s Cannes: Dominga Sotomayor’s “La Perra” and Lisandro Alonso’s “Double Freedom,” both Directors’ Fortnight hits, and “For the Opponents,” by Federico Luis (“Simon of the Mountain”), in Cannes’ shorts competition.