29/19
Eunice Paiva: Marta, you have to help me
A mother is forced to reinvent herself when her family’s life is shattered by an act of random violence during the tightening grip of a military dictatorship in Brazil, 1971. Selected by the Brazilian Film Academy to compete for Best International Feature at the 2025 Oscars.
My husband is in danger!
Marta: Everyone is in danger, Eunice.. Featured on Mais Você: Episode dated December 3, 2024 (2024).
A Festa do Santo Reis, Written by Léo Maia (as Marcio Leonardo), performed by Tim Maia
Adapted from Marcelo Rubens Paiva’s novel, I’m Still Here; it actually improves on the book by focusing on the Paiva family and how each member was shocked and shattered by the disappearance of their father (played with deep affection by Selton Melo). Supported by a powerful performance by Fernanda Torres as the matriarch Eunice, the film recounts the horrors of the Brazilian dictatorship without being preachy or cruel.
She is convincing and moving without being at all melodramatic, in a masterful work
Focusing on the human aspects and the sense of loss of those who never received and answered for the disappearance of their loved ones, the script becomes more and more powerful as time goes on. All the performances by the young actors are first-rate – a rare achievement in Brazilian cinema – but it is Fernanda Torres’ incredibly restrained performance that really stays with you.
“I’m Still Here” is a film to cherish and hold onto
This is the best Brazilian film in years, a gift from director Walter Salles (“Central Station”). Note the brief but powerful cameo by Fernanda Montenegro (Oscar nominee for “Central Station”) at the very end.