Brazil: "I'm Still Here" wins Oscar for Best International Feature
Brazilian cinema made history at the 97th Academy Awards in Los Angeles. I'm Still Here, directed by Walter Salles, won the Oscar for Best International Feature—an unprecedented achievement for Brazil.
The Brazilian film triumphed over Emilia Pérez (France), The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany), The Girl with the Needle (Denmark), and Flow (Latvia).
Walter Salles dedicated the victory to Eunice Paiva, wife of former federal representative Rubens Paiva, who disappeared during the dictatorship. Her pursuit of the truth about her husband's fate served as inspiration for the film's script. In his acceptance speech, the Brazilian filmmaker also praised the contributions of actresses Fernanda Torres and her mother, Fernanda Montenegro.
Also nominated for Best Picture, I'm Still Here lost to Anora, the festival's biggest winner, taking home a total of five awards.
Fernanda Torres, nominated for Best Actress, lost the award to Anora's Mikey Madison. Even so, she cements her place in cinema history, following in the footsteps of her mother, Fernanda Montenegro, who was nominated in the same category at the 1999 Oscars but lost to American actress Gwyneth Paltrow.
World Cup atmosphere
The overlap between the Oscars and Brazil’s Carnival created a World Cup-like celebration. Across the country, parades and street parties featured masks of Fernanda Torres and Selton Mello (who portrayed Rubens Paiva), golden statuette costumes, and even a giant Olinda doll of Fernanda Torres—alongside countless other Oscar-inspired tributes.
With its nominations, Walter Salles' film about the disappearance of former federal representative Rubens Paiva (1929–1971) and the relentless pursuit of truth by his wife, Eunice Paiva (1929–2018), had already secured its place as a winner at the film industry’s most prestigious event.
Experts consulted by Agência Brasil highlighted the film’s ability to reinterpret the past from a fresh perspective while remaining deeply relevant to the present.
The autobiographical book that inspired the film, written by Marcelo Rubens Paiva, the son of Rubens and Eunice, became a bestseller. The case of Rubens Paiva has recently seen new developments. Following a court order in January of this year, his death certificate was amended. The original version labeled him as “politically disappeared,” but the revised document now states that his death was violent and caused by the Brazilian state.
