Brazilians celebrated the nomination of "The Secret Agent" film to four Oscar categories on Thursday, which many said confirmed the rise of Brazilian cinema and its universal appeal. "The Secret Agent" — nominated for best picture, best actor, best international film and achievement in casting — now shares Brazil's record for nominations, alongside the famed 2002 film "City of God" set in a favela in Rio de Janeiro. "The Secret Agent" follows a widowed father — played by Wagner Moura — who becomes a target of Brazil's military dictatorship in the 1970s simply because he stands up to a business owner with ties to the regime. Director Kleber Mendonça Filho said that more than one million spectators have seen the film, in a video posted on social media Thursday following the nominations. Last year, Brazilian feature film "I'm Still Here" was also a box office success, drawing millions of moviegoers. It was nominated in three categories and won best international feature, giving Brazil its first Oscar. The back-to-back successes are leading many to say that Brazil is living a particularly fruitful moment for its cinema — including President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who said that the local industry is currently "experiencing one of the best moments in its history." The nominations are "recognition of our culture and of Brazil's ability to tell stories that move the world," he said on social media. "I'm Still Here" is also set during the dictatorship, and observers say both films have contributed to nationwide discussion about the dark period in Brazil's history from 1964 to 1985, when people were tortured and disappeared. Reaction to political turmoil Lúcia Espírito Santo, a 78-year-old retired lawyer, said that... Read More