“I’m Still Here” A Powerful and Gripping Oscar Nominated Film
- Matt Palmer
- Mar 3, 2025
- 4 min read
“I’m Still Here” (actual Portuguese title: Ainda Estou Aqui) is a political biographical drama based on Marcelo Rubens Paiva’s 2015 memoir of the same name. The film has garnered universal praise and received numerous accolades, including Oscar nominations for Best International Feature Film, Best Actress and Best Picture.
Eunice Paiva begins a lonely battle to learn the truth behind the disappearance of her husband, former PTB deputy Rubens Paiva, while trying to keep her family together.
The Oscar nominated “I’m Still Here” is a heartbreaking, emotional film of love, loss and resilience. This film is a poignant portrayal of Brazil’s darkest chapter, weaving personal tragedy with national turmoil.
The performances in this film are nothing short of breathtaking. All of the performances that we see in the film really help carry this emotional film. The entire cast brings depth and humanity to their roles especially Fernanda Torres, who portrays Eunice Paiva.
Throughout the film, we see how Eunice Paiva has transformed from a devoted wife to a symbol of strength under unimaginable suffering and all of it feels devastatingly real. Torres’ performance makes you feel every moment of this story and her acting is unforgettable. The actress really deserves all of the awards recognition she has been receiving during this year’s awards season.
There is an entire sequence of Eunice being questioned and tortured. Her performance in that scene shows how Eunice stayed resilient in the face of a grueling interrogation. As soon as she finally goes back to her children after a couple weeks, you can tell that Eunice wants to break down but stays strong for her family.
“I’m Still Here” is extremely gripping and deeply moving. The film’s story is also quite interesting and even if you’re not familiar with either the story of Rubens Paiva’s disappearance or the history of what the country was going through at the time, this film is easily one of the best international films that has to be seen!
Also, make sure to continue watching after the film concludes as we see via closing title cards what happened to Eunice Paiva and the family.
Cast: Fernanda Torres (Eunice Paiva); Selton Mello (Rubens Paiva); Guilherme Silveira (Marcelo Rubens Paiva); Valentina Herszage (Vera Paiva); Luiza Kosovski (Eliana Paiva); Barbara Luz (Nalu Paiva); Cara Mora (Maria Beatriz Facciolla Paiva); Pri Helena (Maria José “Zezé”).
Writer/director: Murilo Hauser (writer); Heitor Lorega (writer); Walter Salles (director) (On the Road; Dark Water; The Motorcycle Diaries; City of God).
Trivia: Actress Fernanda Torres said director Walter Salles cut out all of her crying scenes from the film. Marcelo Rubens Paiva said that his mother never cried in front of her family and was very restrained, just like she’s portrayed in the film. For director Walter Salles, telling the story of the Paiva family was a personal mission, as he was friends with the family since he was 13. Salles spent over 7 years developing the film.
The film had its world premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival and was also named one of the Top 5 International Films of 2024 by the National Board of Review. Torres also won the Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama category at the Golden Globes.
MPAA rating: PG-13 for thematic content, some strong language, drug use, smoking and brief nudity (running time 138 minutes)
Film Festival: The final show date and time to see “I’m Still Here” during the Winter Film Festival is March 6 - 7:15.
Fernanda Torres said director Walter Salles cut out all of her crying scenes from the film. Marcelo Rubens Paiva said that his mother Eunice Paiva never cried in front of her family and was very restrained, just like she is portrayed in the film.
Fernanda Torres lost about 10kgs (about 22lbs) for the role of Eunice Paiva as Eunice lost a lot of weight during the 12 days she was incarcerated.
Fernanda Torres stated that director Walter Salles' decision to shoot the scenes in the same order as the script was a game-changer, not just for the actors to bond like a real family, but also to truly grasp the escalating sense of fear and oppression felt by the characters as the events unfold.
For director Walter Salles, telling the story of the saga of the Paiva family was a personal mission, as he was friends with the family since he was 13-years-old. Salles spent over seven years developing the project.
Fernanda Torres plays Eunice Paiva, and Fernanda Montenegro takes on the role of her older self. In real life, Montenegro is Torres' mother.
The film was released in Brazil on what would've been the 95th birthday of Eunice Paiva, on November 7, 2024. The year it was released also marked the 60th anniversary of the 1964 Brazilian coup d'état.
Marcelo Rubens Paiva, son of Eunice Paiva and Rubens Paiva and author of the book the film is based on, ended up paraplegic in 1979 at the age of 20 after diving into a shallow lake and fracturing his fifth cervical vertebra. Although the film doesn't spell this out directly, that's the reason the older version of the character is in a wheelchair.
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