Wagner Moura has landed a new role…

The 46-year-old Brazilian actor, director and filmmaker will star in the upcoming biopic Angicos about Brazilian educator and author Paulo Freire.

Felipe Hirsch will write and direct the film.

Angicos begins in the town of the same name in Rio Grande do Norte in 1963, with the mission of educator Freire (Moura) to fight against illiteracy by teaching the entire village of blue-collar, domestic, and cotton farm workers how to read and write in only 40 hours – a seemingly impossible feat.

Funded by President John F. Kennedy to solidify the South American nation as an ally in the Cold War amidst worldwide social and economic tensions, the success of the endeavor resulted in the planned implementation of Freire’s literary system on a nationwide level. However, before long, political uprisings, a military coup and authoritarian local politicians resisted Freire’s education initiative, destroying texts, deeming the curriculum “subversive,” and eventually sending Freire into exile. These events demonstrated the power of literacy and education against autocratic rule – a testament to the significance of Freire’s methods.

“The enchantment amongst the people of Angicos by the battery-powered slide projectors Freire used in his classes is undeniable, especially as they associated the projections with cinema – something rare in their city at this time, as home television sets had not yet arrived,” said Hirsch. “To that end, Angicos doubles as a film about the power of cinema and the power of knowledge.”

Casting is underway for the film’s ensemble, with principal photography beginning in November of this year.

Moura’s previous credits include television appearances in Narcos, Narcos: Mexico and Mr. & Mrs. Smith, as well as film appearances in Wasp Network, The Gray Man and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.

Hirsch is a Brazilian film and theater director and one of the founders of Ultralíricos, a company where he develops award-winning and critically-acclaimed experiential art. He has been named by O Globo newspaper as one of the most influential thinkers in the country. In 2008, he won the Grammy for his work as the director of the show Homage to Tom Jobim.

In 2009, he directed his first feature film, Sunstroke, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival. In 2016, he directed Severina, his second feature film, which made its world premiere at the Locarno Film Festival. Most recently, Hirsch developed the stage project Língua Brasileira with singer/songwriter Tom Zé, and also directed the concert special 2022 for HBO Max, featuring Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso and many other Brazilian musicians.