PROVOKR PICK: SERGIO
Wagner Moura and Ana de Armas' Life-or-Death Biopic
In Netflix’s new movie, Sergio, United Nations (UN) diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello (Wagner Moura) has spent his time as a diplomat working in some of the world’s most unstable regions. Now, he’s looking to settle down and lead a quieter life with his girlfriend, Carolina (Ana de Armas), but he takes on one more posting. Thrust into Baghdad in the aftermath of the US invasion of Iraq, what was supposed to be a relatively short assignment turns into a life-or-death battle for Sergio when a bomb blast causes the walls of the UN headquarters to topple down around him.
This based-on-a-true-story movie was written by Craig Borten and directed by Greg Barker, who, eleven years earlier, directed the Emmy-nominated documentary Sergio, which depicted the real events that inspired this scripted movie. Given Barker’s closeness to this subject, it’s a good bet that this film, although dramatized, will adhere pretty close to the actual story. In addition to Moura and de Armas, the film stars Brían F. O’Byrne, Garret Dillahunt, Clemens Schick, Will Dalton and Bradley Whitford. Sergio had its world premiere on January 28, 2020, at the Sundance Film Festival.
Watch Sergio, streaming on Netflix April 17, 2020.
