‘I’m Still Here’ makes history as first Brazilian film to win best international feature

Brazilian movie “I’m Still Here“, set against the backdrop of the military dictatorship and recounting the true story of a mother of five whose husband disappears, made history on Sunday by earning Brazil its first Oscar in a major category.

However, the film fell short of winning best picture, which went to “Anora,” and Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres did not win the Oscar for best actress.

Adapted from the poignant 2015 memoir written by Marcelo Rubens Paiva, the son of main character Eunice Paiva, “I Am Still Here” shares family’s heart-wrenching story of loss and resilience in the face of oppression.

In his acceptance speech, director Walter Salles dedicated the award to Eunice Paiva and the two actresses that play her in the movie, Fernanda Torres and her mother Fernanda Montenegro.

“I think it’s not a film that has been recognized. It’s a culture that’s being recognized. It’s the way we do cinema in Brazil that is being recognized,” Salles told reporters backstage.

The Paiva family was among the many victims of the military regime in Brazil, which lasted for 21 years and was established following a coup d’etat by the armed forces in 1964. During this period, thousands of people were detained, tortured, and hundreds forcibly disappeared, with many being exiled and persecuted.

Salles sees democracy becoming more fragile around the world.

“I never thought it would be so fragile in this country,” he said, referring to the U.S. “And therefore what happened in Brazil in the past feels very close to our present.”

The last Brazilian film to be nominated by the Academy in the international category was “Central Station” in 1999, also directed by Salles.

In 1960, France, Italy, Brazil co-production “Black Orpheus”, with a predominantly Brazilian cast and French direction won the international category, but the recipient of the prize was France.

The Oscars ceremony coincided with Brazil’s Carnival, and as the news of the win spread, the streets erupted in joy. Thousands of revelers, many of whom were holding Oscar statuettes or dressed as Academy Awards nominee Fernanda Torres, celebrated with music, dance, and festivities, despite widespread frustration over Torres’ defeat.

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva posted on social media that the award recognized a work that showed the importance of fighting authoritarianism.

“Today is the day to feel even prouder of being Brazilian. Proud of our cinema, our artists and, above all, proud of our democracy,” he wrote.

Source: Reuters
--Agencies