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1121: How To Survive a Dictatorship (feat. Wagner Moura)

February 15, 2026 • 1h 8m

Summary

⏱️ 9 min read

Overview

Alex Wagner interviews acclaimed Brazilian actor Wagner Moura about his Oscar-nominated role in 'The Secret Agent,' a film set during Brazil's 1970s military dictatorship. The conversation explores parallels between historical authoritarianism and today's political climate in both Brazil and the United States, touching on masculinity, resistance, artistic responsibility, and the erosion of democratic norms. Moura discusses ICE raids in Minneapolis, the alignment of tech oligarchs with power, representation in Hollywood, and the critical role artists play in resisting authoritarianism.

Introduction to The Secret Agent and Political Context

Wagner Moura discusses his Oscar-nominated role in The Secret Agent, a film about Brazil's military dictatorship in the 1970s. The timing of the film's release in 2024 creates an eerie resonance with contemporary politics in America and globally, as strongman governments and authoritarian tactics reemerge. Moura explains how Brazil's dictatorship was a civil-military affair, with complicity from elites and civilian institutions, drawing uncomfortable parallels to the capitulation of American institutions today.

  • The Secret Agent is set during Brazil's 1970s military dictatorship and examines generational trauma
  • The film was shot in June-July 2024, before Trump's election but amid rising global authoritarianism
  • Brazil's dictatorship was a 'civil military dictatorship' with complicity from elites and institutions
  • The film explores father-son relationships and how values are passed between generations
" If trauma can be passed along generations, values can too. "
" Brazil suffered of generational trauma I think throughout our entire history. "

Masculinity, Violence, and the ICE Raids

Moura reflects on the deaths of Rene Nicole Good and Alex Preddy during ICE raids in Minneapolis, seeing parallels with his character's fate in the film. He discusses the crisis of masculinity that underlies authoritarianism, contrasting two types of men visible in the Minneapolis footage: those who protect others versus those driven by rage and brutality. The conversation turns to the fragility and fear underlying authoritarian violence, and how civilian resistance like what happened in Minneapolis is essential to stopping authoritarian overreach.

  • The Alex Preddy killing displayed two types of masculinity: protective versus brutal
  • All bad things come from fear and lack of self-esteem, including authoritarianism
  • Civilian resistance and civil disobedience are essential when facing authoritarian regimes
  • Operation Metro Surge was wound down due to brave resistance by Minneapolis residents
  • Authoritarian regimes kill people twice: physically and by destroying their reputation
" I could see two different kinds of masculinity there. There was a man that put his body in front of a woman or a person that needed his help trying to protect her. And then there was this other man that were pure rage and brutality. "
" I'm convinced that all the bad things in the world, they all come out of fear and lack of self-esteem. "
" There must be resistance, civilian resistance... basically what people in Minneapolis were doing. "

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