Agora is a philosophical peplum Hispano – Maltese directed by Alejandro Amenábar and released in 2009 1 . Its theme is the conflict between science and religion and the setting for Alexandria in Roman times . The scenario takes up real life events of the life of Hypatia of Alexandria , the prefect Oreste and the patriarch Cyrille , while raising thehistorical fiction .
Agora portrays the total dedication of the philosopher Hypatia ( Rachel Weisz ) to the quest for knowledge, and the inner conflict of two men around her: her slave Davus ( Max Minghella ) and her pupil Oreste ( Oscar Isaac ). Everyone is cornered between his love for this woman considered inaccessible and the growing fanaticism of the surrounding society.
The film was shown out of competition at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival , and was released in Spain on October 9, 2009. Agora has received seven Goya Awards in Spain, including the Goya Award for Best Original Screenplay . He was also awarded at the Hamptons International Film Festival .