Sergio, out on Netflix this week, shares the story of real-life celebrity diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello. In his prime, he was considered akin to the James Bond of the UN, so it’s only natural that he makes a fascinating subject for documentaries and dramatizations alike.
Director Greg Barker is only too aware of this, having previously tackled the diplomat’s story in his 2009 documentary of the same name and now channeling that energy into the more fictionalized Sergio. He and the movie’s star, Wagner Moura (Narcos), joined Screen Rant for a chat about the significance of Vieira de Mello’s contributions and the themes of the film.
Guys, congratulations on this film. Amazing job. This movie’s loosely based on a true story. How did you become familiar with these events, and what significance do you think they hold today?
Greg Barker: Wow. Well, I came across this story 15 years ago. A book was being written by Samantha Power about Sergio, and then I made a documentary about it.
But I think there’s something about the power of his story. He was a guy who saw the world very clearly and tried to find solutions to very complex global problems, but he didn’t always see himself very clearly. I think the kind of empathy that he had for the world – for me, at least – is a message of endurance that I think we really need today.
Wagner Moura: For me it was more like – I’m also Brazilian, right? So, Sergio was also a personal hero for me. Especially after he was killed in 2003, I came to know more about him. After that, I read some of Powers’ book and Greg’s documentary, as well.
This is pretty much a film, like Greg said, about empathy. That’s the most important thing for us; if you could summarize what the film is about, I would say that this is a film about a guy who had a lot of empathy for other people.
Brilliant performance, Wagner. Both in Narcos and in this, you play thoughtful and resolute leaders who are far apart in many ways. Talk to me about the similarities and differences you found playing a drug lord and an international political figure.
Wagner Moura: Of course, they’re both based on real characters; Pablo Escobar and Sergio really existed. They were both killed. I don’t prefer doing characters that are based on real people. Actually, I prefer the freedom not to have that responsibility towards people lives.
But I think it’s important to – in the case of Narcos, for example – put a light on a very specific moment in our history, especially here in South America, so that we could understand how the drug trade thing began, and the big flaw that the War on Drugs is.
And also, when you talk about Sergio, it’s important to know – especially nowadays with this Coronavirus crisis – we can see how the world leaders are unprepared to be leaders. When we have an example of someone like Sergio, who had so many high values, and someone who could have empathy towards other people and who could see people as people and not as statistics and numbers – I think to look at the history and to look at characters that were part of the history is always very important. It’s a very important thing, so these are the similarities that I could see.
Greg, this movie at times is political and at times it’s a serious drama or a thriller with action elements. Can you talk about marrying all those elements together?
Greg Barker: Some of my favorite films try to do this, like The English Patient or Killing Fields or The Year of Living Dangerously. I’m drawn to these, partially because I’ve spent a lot of my life oversees and I kind of identify with these stories somehow. But I love movies that unpack these deep times of crises, because I think it’s during these crises that people are truly tested.
And I think that’s what happens with Sergio; he’s on the go, and then suddenly he’s trapped and has to confront the choices that he’s made over the course of his incredible life. It combines a lot of different elements, but at the core of it, I think it’s a film about how we see the world and how we see each other.
It kind of explodes at the end in this rich love story, because ultimately what’s most important in life is how we are with those closest to us. We want to have an impact on the world, but we need to be authentic to those who are most intimate to us.
Sergio is now streaming on Netflix