Brazilian Actress Pre-Selected for the Oscars Had No Idea What It Was

2019. Caicó, in the sertão of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The sertão (semi-arid backlands) is Brazil’s harsh and poetic hinterland—a land of cracked earth, faith, and endurance, where time moves slowly and people survive between drought and devotion. It’s a vast, dry region marked by small rural communities, strong traditions, and a history of resilience amid social inequality.

A team of filmmakers sets out under scorching heat—temperatures never below 32°C even in winter—in search of extras for the film Bacurau. They head toward neighboring Parelhas, to the district of Cobra, 25 km from the city of 63,000 inhabitants chosen as the filming location.

They decide to stop at a house for a snack. A voice breaks the silence:

— Good evening!

The phrase echoed with such force that the filmmakers said:

— That’s it! No need for casting tests. That’s the voice I need. She’s hired.

And that’s how rug artisan Tânia Maria, now 78 years old, became an extra in the drama directed by Pernambuco born Kleber Mendonça Filho. Little did she know she was beginning a journey toward the world’s most prestigious film award—the Oscars—which she admits: “I don’t even know what that is.”

To reach the filming set in the neighboring city, the newly hired actress had to travel by bus for an hour every day. During one lunch break, Kleber and casting director Leonardo Lacca (Leo) invited her to join them and co-director Juliano Dornelles at their table.

— Tell us a bit about your life.

Once again, Tânia’s words enchanted the team. She was later invited to act in a documentary-fiction hybrid about “Seu Cavalcanti,” Leo’s grandfather. Juliano didn’t waste time either and invited Tânia to act in Delegado, which recently wrapped filming and is set to premiere in 2026.

The youngest of five siblings (only one sister is  still alive), the artisan is a single mother. Today, she lives with her daughter, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter in Cobra, a district of Parelhas, 240 km from Natal (capital of Rio Grande do Norte).

But it wasn’t always like this. Long before fame, she made wedding dresses—and not just dresses.    

— I made all the clothes for a wedding. I made an entire wedding. Dresses for flower girls, bridesmaids, mothers of the brides. I just didn’t make jackets for the men. I lived in the brides’ homes for months. I lived in Natal, João Pessoa. I took my little daughter with me.

She explains why she left her career as a seamstress:

— I also made many uniforms for bus drivers and fare collectors, but 20 years ago I decided to change. Brides were too much work—they needed fittings and dress trials. So I started making rugs from used sofa fabrics. Today my daughter helps me. I want to make films, but I don’t plan to stop making rugs. I sell them wholesale to stores in Parelhas.

Welcoming Spirit

In the film O Agente Secreto, officially Brazil’s submission for Best International Feature Film at the 2026 Oscars, Tânia plays Sebastiana, who rents apartments in Recife (capital of Pernambuco  Province) to the character Marcelo, played by internationally acclaimed actor Wagner Moura (Narcos, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Civil War).

— I’m welcoming, just like Sebastiana. I welcome everyone into my home.

In an interview with Brazilian site C7nema in May 2025, director Kleber Mendonça Filho described Sebastiana’s refugee shelter as a “bunker of affection.”

Sebastiana smokes, but Tânia quit.

— You know I didn’t go to France with the film because I couldn’t handle the flight without smoking? I used to smoke two packs a day, but I quit. The film will be shown in Natal and São Paulo, and I’ll go by plane.

In fact, the plane took the first resident in Parelhas’ history to visit the Palácio da Alvorada, the official residence of Brazil’s president. Not just to visit—Tânia watched the film in a private session with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and First Lady Janja Lula da Silva.

— Lula shouted and patted my back every time my character appeared. He’s a simple man, you know? Lula is “sweet.” And Janja—don’t even get me started. I’m grateful to Kleber, Juliano, and Leo for all of this.

At the end of the film, the president asked Tânia: “What do you need?”

— Films!, said the septuagenarian with an energetic voice, also over the phone in an exclusive interview with The Sentinel by Yuvoice. She surely repeated the line with the same authenticity she used with the president.

She said the president agreed:

— There will be lots of films!

Neighbors had told Tânia to ask for paved roads and a soccer field. But she said she doesn’t drive and doesn’t play soccer—so she asked for opportunities in acting.

And she’s already getting them. Tânia is currently starring in Seu Cavalcanti, will premiere O Agente Secreto in Brazil on November 6, Delegado in 2026, Yellow Cake (already presented at Cannes’ Marché du Film 2025 and filmed in Picuí, Paraíba), and Almeidinha (shot in Caicó and Chile).

Full of Mystery

O Agente Secreto has no clear synopsis on film sites. The directors’ interviews are evasive. The official trailer is inconclusive.

The director says he doesn’t like labeling his films with adjectives. So the atmosphere of mystery isn’t limited to the film. Tânia lets slip a detail about her character’s political alignment—but quickly regrets it.

— You’re not going to publish that, right? They’ll get mad at me!

How could anyone ignore the request of someone so kind, simple, and authentic—still new to dealing with journalists?

I ask: what’s it like seeing Brazil’s Northeast on the world’s screens? Seeing Pernambuco and Northeastern actors rising to such success, even being considered for Oscar nominations?

— It still hasn’t sunk in!

Tânia reveals that Marcelo, Wagner Moura’s character, searches for his son in Pernambuco but doesn’t find him—or his documents.

— You’ve seen the film, right?

— No, Dona Tânia, not yet.

Unfazed, she doesn’t offer any more clues about the plot. Since I couldn’t uncover any secrets, I turn to reality.

— You were in your twenties during the start of Brazil’s military dictatorship. Do you remember what the country was like?

— Yes. Back then we didn’t have electricity. TVs were only near big cities. We got the news from Voz do Brasil on the radio.

— Could you tell what was happening in the country?

— Not really, but we knew something strange was going on. My own father had to hide in the swamp because of political alignment—he was on the run.

We reached the end of the conversation (which she called a “lecture”), and the actress didn’t reveal the political content of O Agente Secreto or any other spoiler . 

The film takes place in 1977, when Brazil still had eight more years under a regime that didn’t honor democratic rights and duties, led by General Ernesto Geisel, the second-to-last general to govern Brazil.

Want more details? Dona Tânia won’t tell us… We’ll just have to wait eagerly for the premiere.