The Mole Agent

a film by Maite Alberdi

The Mole Agent

Chile, USA, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain | 2020 | 84:00 min

Original Title:
EL AGENTE TOPO

Formal Categories

Human Interest Society Social Issue

Content Categories

Documentary Docudrama Hybrid
German title: DER MAULWURF — Ein Detektiv im Altersheim
Synopsis
When a family becomes concerned about their mother’s wellbeing in a retirement home, private investigator Romulo hires Sergio, an 83 year-old man who becomes a new resident–and a mole inside the home, who struggles to balance his assignment with becoming increasingly involved in the lives of several residents.

Sergio is a Chilean spy. Sort of. At least, he is offered the role of one after a casting session organized by Detective Romulo, a private investigator who needs a credible mole to infiltrate a retirement home. Romulo’s client, the concerned daughter of a resident, suspects her mother is being abused and hires him to find out what is really happening.

However, Sergio is 83, not 007, and not an easy trainee when it comes to technology and spying techniques. But he is a keen student, looking for ways to distract himself after recently losing his wife. What could be a better distraction than some undercover spy action? While gathering intelligence, Sergio grows close to several residents and realizes that the menacing truth beneath the surface is not what anyone had suspected.

Maite Alberdi’s The Mole Agent is a stylish combination of an observational documentary and a spy movie, with sleek camerawork and wonderfully watchable characters. It’s a unique meditation on compassion and loneliness that will infiltrate your heart and never let go.

"The most heart-warming spy movie ever made...delightful" - Indiewire



Production companies:
Tribeca Film Institute, Sundance Institute, ITVS, Micromundo Productions, Motto Pictures, Sutor Kolonko, Voyla Films, Malvalanda, SWR

Festivals/Awards
among others
2020
Sundance
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2020
12 LuxFilmFest — Luxembourg City Film Festival
17 Zurich Film Festival
DOC NYC
Winner - Best European Film Audience Award - San Sebastian IFF
IDFA - Best of Fests

2021
Cinema Eye Honors award for Outstanding Original Score for composer Vincent van Warmerdam – ceh2021
nominated for 93nd Academy Awards OSCAR® Documentary Feature
nominated Best Iberoamerican Film the Goya Awards
nomination for Best Editing Latino Entertainment Awards, Editor Carolina Siragyan
Hong Kong IFF
Cast and Crew
  • Director Maite Alberdi
  • Producer Marcela Santibañez (lead producer), Ingmar Trost, Fleur Knopperts, Denis Vaslin, Marisa Fernandez Armenteros, María del Puy Alvarado Landa
  • Director of Photography Pablo Valdés
  • Editor Carolina Siragyan
  • Score Vincent Van Warmerdam
Original Languages

Spanish

World Sales Company
dogwoof
19 - 23 Ironmonger Row, EC1V 3QN London

Phone: +44 20 72536244

global@dogwoof.com
http://dogwoof.com
Co-Production Company
SUTOR KOLONKO
Germany
www.sutorkolonko.de
Links / Reference
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