The Brazilian film I’m Still Here won the Oscar for Best International Film on Sunday. Directed by Walter Salles, the movie tells the story of a family affected by Brazil's military dictatorship, which ruled the country for over two decades, reports AP.
The film stars Fernanda Torres as Eunice Paiva, the wife of Rubens Paiva, a former left-wing congressman who was forcibly taken from his family’s home in Rio de Janeiro in 1971 and disappeared under the dictatorship.
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Based on the memoir of Paiva’s son Marcelo, the story focuses on Eunice, a mother of five who is left to rebuild her life without her husband and with no answers about his disappearance. The film portrays a different form of political resistance—one characterised by perseverance and resilience.
Eunice's unwavering defiance to the military regime is evident throughout the film. In one poignant moment, she instructs her children to smile for a newspaper photograph, despite their long separation from their father.
Torres explained that the smile represents a form of resistance, noting, “It’s not that they’re living happily. It’s a tragedy. Marcelo recently said something Eunice said that I had never heard: ‘We are not a victim. The victim is the country.’”
I’m Still Here is a deeply Brazilian tale, created by one of the nation’s most renowned directors, Walter Salles, whose previous works include Central Station and Motorcycle Diaries. The film also features a late appearance by Fernanda Montenegro, the daughter of one of Brazil’s greatest stars, who plays the older Eunice.
Other films nominated for Best International Film included Denmark’s The Girl with the Needle, Germany’s The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Latvia’s Flow, and France’s Emilia Pérez, which had once been a favourite but was overshadowed by controversy.