Narcos actor Wagner Moura on Sydney Film Festival judging panel
Actor Wagner Moura directed and stars in feature film, Marighella, that is also screening as part of the Sydney Film Festival. The 42-year-old is in town to sit on the judging panel for the annual festival.
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Narcos star Wagner Moura says he fears for his safety returning to his home country but won’t stop visiting Brazil just yet.
Now based in Los Angeles, the 42-year-old is in town to sit on the judging panel for the Sydney Film Festival and will fly to South America once his work here is finished.
“For the first time in my life I have felt that I could be in danger because of the political situation,” Moura told Confidential.
“Whenever I go to Rio or Sao Paulo, I have to take care. This is a president (Jair Bolsonaro) that declared war against basically everything but for sure against art, culture and anything related to critical thinking. Artists in general are considered enemies of the government.”
The actor, who played Pablo Escobar in global hit television series Narcos, added: “It is heartbreaking. I hope nothing happens but I will never allow myself not to go back there unless things escalate further.”
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Moura directed and stars in critically acclaimed feature film, Marighella, that is also screening as part of the Sydney Film Festival.
Ironically though, he said distributors in Brazil won’t touch the movie for fear of offending the government.
Marighella is based on the life of politician and guerrilla fighter Carlos Marighella, who was killed by police in 1969.
“My film is a threat for them because my movie is about the ones who resisted the dictatorship back in the ’60s and it has a clear connection to what is going on right now,” explained Moura, who is also known internationally for his work in Hollywood films Elysium, Trash and the upcoming Wasp Network with Penelope Cruz and Gael Garcia Bernal.
“The film has had a beautiful career at film festivals, from Berlin to here (Sydney).
“I was prepared for the film to polarise people and for criticism but I was not prepared for our distributors not to have the courage to release the film.”
Originally published as Narcos actor Wagner Moura on Sydney Film Festival judging panel
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