Netflix’s ‘Sergio’ Explores the Complex Life of a Diplomat Who Lost His Life in the Field

Alci Rengifo

In the world of high power politics and diplomacy it’s rare to find that devoted true believer. Netflix’s “Sergio” finds such a personality in the story of Sergio Vieira de Mello, who died in Iraq in 2003 while serving as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. At a distance this might not seem like a life immediately tapped for cinematic biography. Sergio, as played by Wagner Moura, was not a revolutionary, military commander or political philosopher. He was instead a sincere man operating in a cutthroat world. 

We first meet the Brazilian Sergio as he lands in Iraq amid the Bush administration’s ongoing occupation. He takes his job seriously and notices the simmering capacity for the conflict to spiral out of control as U.S. troops barge into a land they understand little about. His attitude ruffles the feathers of Paul Bremer (Bradley Whitford), especially when he asks that U.S. forces leave the UN offices in Baghdad. Then militant groups bomb the building and Sergio is buried under rubble with colleagues. Struggling to survive his mind wanders to the past and we see his years trying to achieve peace in conflict zones like East Timor and Cambodia. Despite being married with two sons, he meets and falls in love with Carolina Larriera (Ana de Armas), an expert in microeconomics. The two form a bond and travel together as Sergio’s reputation grows in international circles. When the Iraq War begins they know he will be called in. Carolina follows, despite fears that Sergio’s stubborn commitment to genuine human rights work will put him in danger.

“Sergio” is a rare dramatic work from director Greg Barker, who is mostly known as a director of taught documentaries about recent history. His 2018 “The Final Year” chronicled the last days of the Obama White House with fascinating detail including how the most powerful government in the world still has a roach problem in its offices. He explored de Mello’s life before in a 2009 documentary also named “Sergio” which aired on HBO. What he does with drama is tell the story with a straight forward style that emphasizes Sergio’s character in a terrain where many lack it. Barker keeps a documentary-like visual style, deciding to ignore the more flashy techniques some biopics attempt. This is the portrait of a well-meaning bureaucrat who takes his job title seriously. Sergio annoys more cynical colleagues during negotiations in East Timor where he agrees to relay guerrilla fighters’ terms to the occupying Indonesian government, essentially demanding an apology for its brutality. He treks into Cambodia and sits down with a renegade Khmer Rouge commander who knew Sergio as a radical student at the Sorbonne during the May 1968 uprising. Sergio can only smile at the idea that he, a figure fighting for human rights, is willing to still call a designated war criminal a “friend.” But for him it’s not about any romantic ideals, real results come from being practical and willing to collaborate. He outgrew the ‘60s firebrand a long time ago. The irony of Craig Borten’s screenplay is that Sergio becomes an unromantic romantic. It is both the radicals and Machiavellian power players who see his approach as a pipe dream.

Where the story gets a bit hazy is Sergio’s private life. While jogging he sees Carolina and is instantly smitten. She’s attractive and highly intelligent, a perfect match for his own image of a rugged yet civilized diplomat. Yet he’s already married and the only sense of friction we get from the aftermath of his switch in partners is a tense lunch with his sons, where one of them throws a fit over Sergio forgetting he’s allergic to shrimp. Who was the other wife? We only learn they married possibly too young to handle the responsibility. To the credit of Barker he uses this side of Sergio to balance out the more heroic image. This cultured man can arrange peace in East Timor and be good friends with Kofi Annan, easily being named as a shoe-in for UN Secretary-General, but his personal life could be messier than civil war.

A fault in “Sergio” is that it establishes many fascinating angles but can’t keep up with all of them. The scenes in Iraq vividly capture how power really works in the world when Sergio, for all his confident actions, can do little when going up against a representative of U.S. power like Bremer. Played with acidic technocratic attitude by Bradley Whitford of “The West Wing,” Bremer is the antithesis to Sergio. He dismisses any complaints about possible human rights abuses in the war and repeats the White House line of the invasion being a force for liberating the country. But the film then cuts away from digging deeper into the Iraq story, and Sergio’s role in its complex debates, to focus on the romance with Carolina, which has its own insightful issues about balancing intense diplomatic work with domestic life. 

Wagner Moura and Ana de Armas carry the material with passionate performances. Moura is best known for playing kingpin Pablo Escobar in Netflix’s smash hit series “Narcos,” about the Colombian drug wars. If he displayed a disturbing ferocity in that show, here he plays a man disciplined in his work and fueled by a sense of empathy. He suffers fools out of a sense of tolerance, but can chew someone out when they want to compromise his mission out of greed. Ana de Armas of “Knives Out” and “Blade Runner 2049” turns Carolina into the kind of partner suited for Sergio, she’s upfront and sharp, calling him out when necessary. They treat each other like equals, which is an insightful touch in the film’s approach. What we wish a little more of is deeper looks at their inner selves and not just their work. What demons truly drove Sergio? Drama has the potential of turning the public figure into a truly human portrait. A man so committed to the well-being of others must be driven by scars and specific experiences.

“Sergio” ends inevitably on a melancholy note. He died in the attack on the UN offices, carried out by an early variant of Al Qaeda in Iraq which would, a decade later, morph into ISIS. The idealist diplomat was suddenly consumed by rages the best intentions cannot easily put out. That may be the most valuable aspect of this snapshot of a life. It reminds us people like this can be found in the corridors of power, even if they are few.

“Sergio” begins streaming April 17 on Netflix.