His Own Man

By: Edgard Telles Ribeiro and Kim Hastings

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Synopsis: A charismatic young diplomat in Brazil's Foreign Ministry, Marcilio Andrade Xavier (Max to his friends and colleagues) renounces his past ideals and becomes an informer after the military coup of 1964. While his colleagues attempt to reconcile themselves to the new realities of a dictatorship, Max begins to navigate the shadowy world of deception. During the ensuing "Dirty War," his government begins preying on its own citizens, and those who resist end up being tortured, killed, or simply "disappeared." Meanwhile, with virtuosic finesse, Max advances swiftly up the diplomatic ladder, somehow evading implication in any darker deeds. His artful maneuvering -- both personal and political -- astonishes his friends and assures him a meteoric career during the military regime. Ironically, once democracy is eventually restored after more than two decades, the enigmatic Max will still manage to thrive. But his singular career is achieved at a dire personal cost, for his relations with family and friends become irrevocably poisoned.Set against the backdrop of ruthless embassy machinations, glittering parties, covert spy activities, and revealing intimate encounters, HIS OWN MAN offers an extraordinary and seductive protagonist, as well as a chilling anatomy of ambition, power, and betrayal.