LOS ANGELES (AP) — “I’m Still Here,” a poignant Brazilian film portraying a family’s turmoil amidst the prolonged military regime in Brazil, clinched the prestigious Oscar for best international film on Sunday. Helmed by Walter Salles, the movie features Fernanda Torres in the role of Eunice Paiva, the resilient wife of Rubens Paiva, a former leftist Brazilian parliamentarian who mysteriously vanished during the oppressive military rule in 1971.
“I’m Still Here” sheds light on Eunice’s poignant journey, based on the memoir penned by Paiva’s son Marcelo, as she grapples with the absence of her husband and the responsibility of reconstructing their shattered family life. The narrative unfolds as a testament to unwavering endurance, showcasing a unique form of political resistance.
Eunice steadfastly resists the military dictatorship’s efforts to crush her family’s spirit. In a poignant scene where Eunice and her children, now bereft of their vanished father, pose for a newspaper photograph, she encourages them to smile.
“The smile symbolizes a form of defiance,” shared Torres with The Associated Press. “It doesn’t signify contentment. It’s a tragedy. Marcelo recently mentioned a profound statement by Eunice that I had never heard before: ‘We are not victims. The victim is the nation.'”
“I’m Still Here” encapsulates a quintessentially Brazilian narrative, crafted by one of the nation’s most celebrated directors (Salles’ distinguished filmography includes “Central Station” and “Motorcycle Diaries”) and featuring the esteemed Fernanda Montenegro’s daughter in a pivotal role. Montenegro herself makes a poignant appearance as the older Eunice in the latter part of the film.
Competing against “I’m Still Here” in the best international film category were noteworthy entries like Denmark’s “The Girl with the Needle,” Germany’s “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” Latvia’s “Flow,” and France’s “Emilia Pérez,” a former Oscars favorite marred by controversy.
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