“The Secret Agent”, the film by Kleber Mendonça Filho chosen to represent Brazil at the 2026 Oscars, stood out on the betting and nominations lists for the awards season. The Golden Globes, in turn, included the film in the categories of Best Non-English Language Film, Best Actor and Best Drama Film, an unprecedented milestone for the country.
The Critics Choice Awards included a Brazilian production with nominations for Best International Film and Best Actor for the role of Wagner Moura.
Given this scenario, many are eagerly awaiting the announcement of next year’s Oscar nominees, which will be announced on January 22. But, if “I’m Still Here” won the first Oscar for best international film in Brazilian history, the journey of “The Secret Agent” may not have the same outcome.
If the Walter Salles film’s main competitor, the French musical “Emilia Pérez”, arrived at this year’s Oscars hampered by controversies involving statements by actress Karla Sofía Gascón and debates over the approach to its trans protagonist and the Mexican population, the great rivals of “The Secret Agent” will hardly have to face similar difficulties.
The lead, “It Was Just an Accident,” is a drama inspired by Iranian director Jafar Panahi’s personal experiences while he was a political prisoner. Awarded the last Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in France, the plot follows a man who decides to kidnap the man he believes to be his former torturer. However, when he decides to execute the suspected executioner, he begins to doubt the identity of the kidnapped person.
Recently, Panahi, who is not in Iran, was sentenced to an additional year in prison for “propaganda against the political regime,” which should give him even more momentum in the Oscar race.
The second highest rated film in the best international film category, “Sentimental Value”, leaves Cannes with the grand jury prize and follows the troubled relationship between two artists, a father and his daughter, in a drama very similar to those that usually please the Academy.
These are stories that conflict with the short story written by Mendonça Filho. In the plot, Marcelo, played by Wagner Moura, is a teacher who tries to flee the country under the military dictatorship.
But with the announcement of the pre-nominees for the best international film category at the Oscars, several other films, shared between various social issues and debates linked to the conflicts in the Gaza Strip for example, present themselves as possible competitors to “The Secret Agent”.
Discover all the pre-nominees for the Oscar for best international film who compete with the Brazilian candidate.
It was just an accident (France)
Where to see: At the cinema
The film by Iranian director Jafar Panahi is inspired by the filmmaker’s personal life and tells the story of a man who kidnaps the man he believes to have been his torturer, in prison, years earlier. However, when he decides to execute the suspected executioner, he begins to doubt the identity of the kidnapped person and decides to ask other victims for help.
Despite Panahi’s nationality, the film is a French production and was selected by France, because the Iranian government does not support the productions and the critical stance of the filmmaker.
Sentimental value (Norway)
Where to see: Released December 25 in theaters
In the film by Dane Joachim Trier, sisters Nora and Agnes try to reconnect with their father, Gustav, who has disappeared from their lives. As a renowned director, he returns and offers Nora a role in the film which he believes can revive her career. When she refuses the proposal, Gustav decides to give the job to a young Hollywood star.
Sirat (Spain)
Where to see: Released in theaters on February 26
Directed by OIiver Laxe, “Sirât” follows the journey of a man and his son among delirious young people during a rave in the Moroccan desert. The duo tries to find their daughter and their older sister, who disappeared a few months ago. The film uses this scenario to discuss humanity and the state of migration.
The only way out (South Korea)
Where to see: Released in theaters on January 22
Park Chan-Wook’s film uses comedy to evoke the competitions imposed by capitalism in the world of work. In the plot, a man who works in a large company is fired and decides to kill his competitors once he signs up for the selection process for a new vacant position.
The Sound of Autumn (Germany)
Where to see: No theatrical release date
Following three different generations of the same family, the film follows the perspectives of different women and creates an atmosphere of terror and oppression by investigating the condition of women throughout history.
The President’s Cake (Iraq)
Where to see: No theatrical release date
In the Iraqi film, a nine-year-old girl must bake a cake in honor of the Iraqi president. She embarks on a journey to gather the necessary ingredients. The award-winning film at the last São Paulo International Film Festival discusses authoritarianism from the perspective of a child.
Palestine 36 (Palestine)
Where to see: No theatrical release date
Set in 1936, the film depicts the uprising of the Palestinian population against the invasion of villages by British colonial rule. Rising numbers of Jewish immigrants and anti-Semitism in Europe collide with the most intense mobilization of Palestinians in 30 years of colonialism and form the central theme of this film, which depicts a watershed moment for the British Empire and the region.
The left-handed girl (Taiwan)
Where to see: Available on Netflix
The film marks Shih-Ching Tsou’s first solo directorial debut and follows the story of a woman who moves to Taipei with her two daughters. She tries to open a nightstand but finds herself threatened by secrets and traditions that threaten to jeopardize her journey to a new beginning.
The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia)
Where to see: No theatrical release date
Awarded the Grand Jury Prize in Venice, the film follows the true story of Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian child killed in crossfire in the Gaza Strip. The film dramatizes the attempts of Red Cross volunteers, during a telephone call, to save the young girl.
Kokuho (Japan)
Where to see: No theatrical release date
Taking place in Nagasaki in 1964, the film follows the story of a young man who loses his father, the leader of a yakuza gang, the famous Japanese mafia. He is welcomed by a famous actor and, amid a series of tensions, decides to devote his life to the theater.
Belén: A story of injustice (Argentina)
Where to see: Available on Prime Video
The film directed and starring Dolores Fonzi tells the true story of Julieta, a young woman unjustly accused of infanticide after a medical emergency that takes place in a conservative region of Argentina. The long debate on reproductive rights from the point of view of lawyer Soledad Deza.
At home (India)
Where to see: Available on Netflix
The film follows the story of two friends from a village in northern India who decide to achieve dignity by seeking employment as police officers. In doing so, the duo is overcome by despair.
All that remains of you (Jordan)
Where to see: No theatrical release date
The film follows different generations of a Palestinian family and addresses the idea of intergenerational trauma and resistance in the Gaza Strip, spanning from 1948 to the protests that took over the West Bank region.
On the front line (Switzerland)
Where to see: No theatrical release date
Petra Volpe’s film is the portrait of the exhausting daily life of a nurse who works in the infirmary of a precarious health establishment. By investigating the lack of resources and the ethical dilemmas that arise from these conditions, the film addresses the infrastructure of the healthcare system.
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