Eunice Paiva: Martha, you have to help me
Plot
A mother is forced to reinvent herself when her family’s life is destroyed by an act of arbitrary violence during the tightening grip of a military dictatorship in Brazil, 1971. Selected by the Brazilian Film Academy to compete for the 2025 Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
My husband is in danger!
Martha: Everyone is in danger, Eunice. Appears in Mais Você: Episode of December 3, 2024 (2024).
A Festa do Santo ReisWritten by Léo Maia (as Marcio Leonardo)Performed by Tim Maia
Adapted from the novel by Marcel Rubens Paiva, “I’m Still Here” actually improves on the book, focusing on the Paiva family and how each member was surprised and heartbroken by the disappearance of their father (played with deep emotion by Selton Mello). Anchored by a powerful performance by Fernanda Torres as the matriarch Eunice, the film explores the horrors of the Brazilian dictatorship without ever being preachy or pretentious.
She’s compelling and moving, never melodramatic, in a masterful piece
Focusing on the human aspects and sense of loss of those who never get answers about the disappearance of a loved one, the script grows increasingly powerful as the action progresses. The performances by the young actors are all top-notch—a rare feat in Brazilian cinema—but it’s Fernanda Torres’ remarkably restrained performance that really sticks in the mind.
“I’m Still Here” is a film to cherish and hold
This is the best Brazilian film in years, a gift from director Walter Salles (“Central Station”). Look out for a brief but powerful cameo by Fernanda Montenegro (Oscar-nominated for “Central Station”) at the very end.
