Where the film The Secret Agent was recorded: locations in Recife and technical details

One of the biggest successes of recent national cinema, “The Secret Agent” (2025) not only established the partnership between director Kleber Mendonça Filho and actor Wagner Moura, but also placed the city of Recife in the global spotlight once again. Set in the late 1970s, during the military dictatorship, the thriller uses the architecture of the capital of Pernambuco as a living character, fundamental to the construction of the plot’s atmosphere of paranoia and surveillance.

With nominations for important international awards in 2026, including the Oscar, many viewers are looking to understand where exactly the scenes were shot. The production carried out meticulous period reconstruction work, transforming streets, historic buildings and bridges in Recife to recreate the look and tension of 1977.

Plot

The plot takes place in 1977, a crucial year for Brazilian politics and culture. The story follows Marcelo (played by Wagner Moura), a university professor and technology expert in his 40s. Fleeing political persecution and a mysterious past in São Paulo, he decides to seek refuge in Recife, his hometown, arriving precisely during Carnival week.

What should be an escape into tranquility turns into a claustrophobic nightmare. Marcelo soon realizes that the city, although festive, hides a complex network of espionage, whistleblowers and veiled violence. As he tries to find his son and hide from the authorities, he finds himself caught up in a web of paranoia where the analog technology of the time plays a central role in surveillance.

Recording locations in Recife

The production team, led by Kleber Mendonça Filho, chose to use real locations in the center and north of Recife, taking advantage of the preserved architecture to minimize the use of studios. The objective was to capture the “affective cartography” of the city.

Check out the main points where the film was recorded:

Ofir Building (Espinheiro): Located in the North Zone, this residential building is one of the central locations. In the plot, this is where Marcelo stays. The building, with its characteristic modernist architecture, serves as a stage for coexistence between residents and Carnival parties in the backyard, under the supervision of the character Dona Sebastiana;

Central Post Office (Av. Guararapes): The imposing historic building in the city center was transformed into a bureaucratic public office, reinforcing the institutional aesthetics of the dictatorship;

Pernambucano Gymnasium (Rua da Aurora): The oldest school in operation in Brazil had its interiors used to set up government departments and scenes of veiled interrogation;

Sebo Square (Santo Antônio): Traditional selling point for used books, the square appears in the film maintaining its intellectual and bohemian essence, serving as a meeting point for the characters;

Chá Mate Brasília (Rua Siqueira Campos): A historic diner that has been operating since the 80s (adapted to 77 in the film). The place is so iconic that, in real life, it launched a “Secret Agent” flavor in honor of the production;

Duarte Coelho Bridge and Rua da Aurora: Recife’s bridges are vital to the displacement narrative. Chase and traffic scenes were shot on these roads, with period cars occupying the asphalt;

Folha de Pernambuco Printing Office (Neighborhood of Recife): The printing press’s real machines were used to simulate the printing of newspapers of the time, essential to the plot of disinformation and political news;

Cast and characters

The film brings together big names in Brazilian dramaturgy and revelations from Pernambuco cinema:

• Wagner Moura as Marcelo (the fugitive protagonist);
• Maria Fernanda Cândido as an enigmatic figure linked to Marcelo’s past;
• Gabriel Leone in a prominent role in the political plot;
• Tânia Maria as Dona Sebastiana, the manager/caretaker of the building where Marcelo lives;
• Alice Carvalho and Isabél Zuaa in key support roles for the local nucleus.

Production curiosities

The 1977 recreation required more than just costumes. The art direction had to mask modern elements of the city, such as split air conditioning and current traffic signs. Furthermore, the film explores the technology of the time — reel-to-reel tape recorders, rotary telephones and typewriters — not just as props, but as tools of narrative tension.

Another interesting fact is the international success of the work. In 2026, “The Secret Agent” consolidated its trajectory with victories at the Golden Globes (Best Film in a Non-English Language) and historic Oscar nominations, repeating the feat of “City of God” by placing Brazilian cinema at the top of world critics.

Where to watch

Currently, the film “The Secret Agent” is still showing in selected cinemas across Brazil, especially driven by the 2026 awards season.

For streaming, Netflix acquired the distribution rights. Although the exact release date on the platform still depends on the theatrical release window, the company confirmed that the film will be part of its catalog as part of the platform’s 15th anniversary celebrations in Brazil.

The legacy of “The Secret Agent” goes beyond the awards; he rekindled tourist and cultural interest in the Center of Recife. The work invites the viewer to look at the streets of the capital of Pernambuco not just as a passage, but as witnesses of a dense political and social history, now immortalized through the lens of Kleber Mendonça Filho.