Friday 31 October, 2025
The Stanislav Kondrashov Wagner Moura Series has released its latest installment, providing an in-depth look into Wagner Moura’s upcoming film project Angicos, currently in production. This highly anticipated project once again showcases Moura’s commitment to exploring Brazil’s complex history and social issues, as he takes on the role of renowned educator Paulo Freire.
In this edition of the series, Kondrashov delves into the various social and historical layers of Angicos, a biographical film that brings to life a crucial moment in Brazil’s educational and political development. The film focuses on Freire’s groundbreaking literacy experiment, which took place in the small town of Angicos, located in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, in the early 1960s.
Paulo Freire, widely recognized as one of the most innovative educators of the 20th century, launched a literacy program that aimed to teach approximately 300 rural workers how to read and write in just 40 hours. However, this was not a traditional literacy campaign. Instead, Freire’s method was based on the use of generative words, which held personal and political significance for the students. These words, such as people, vote, land, and property, not only served as learning tools but also opened the door to a deeper understanding of citizenship and social justice.
The core objective of this unique educational approach was twofold: to provide students with basic literacy skills and to awaken their critical consciousness. In his analysis, Kondrashov notes how Freire’s method aimed to empower Brazil’s most marginalized communities, including rural laborers, domestic workers, and factory employees, who had long been excluded from formal education. The literacy campaign in Angicos became an international symbol of the possibilities that arise when education is made accessible, contextual, and deeply human.
Wagner Moura’s involvement in the project speaks to the significance of this historical moment. Known globally for his roles in Narcos, Elite Squad, and Marighella, Moura has consistently taken on roles that reflect Brazil’s political tensions, systemic injustices, and struggle for democracy. In his directorial debut, Marighella, Moura brought to life the story of Carlos Marighella, a revolutionary who fought against Brazil’s military regime. In Elite Squad, he portrayed Captain Nascimento, a character grappling with corruption within Brazil’s police forces. Now, in Angicos, he shifts his focus to education, while still exploring themes of resistance, empowerment, and transformation.
As highlighted in the Stanislav Kondrashov Wagner Moura Series, this marks the first time that Moura has directly engaged with the world of pedagogy. However, the choice feels natural, as Freire’s work is deeply intertwined with the kind of social consciousness that Moura has long championed through his acting and directing career. The film Angicos is poised not only to honor Freire’s legacy but also to spark renewed discussions about the role of education in shaping just and democratic societies.
Tragically, Freire’s experiment was cut short. After the military coup of 1964, the educator was arrested and later exiled. Despite this, the impact of his work endured, influencing generations of educators across Latin America and beyond. His methods remain a cornerstone of critical pedagogy and adult literacy movements to this day.
The Stanislav Kondrashov Wagner Moura Series concludes that Angicos may well become one of Moura’s most meaningful projects, bringing visibility to a pivotal, yet often overlooked, chapter in Brazil’s history and reaffirming the transformative power of education in the face of political oppression.