Je suis toujours là

"I'm Still Here" goes beyond being just another film about the military dictatorship, offering a human, intense, and brutally intimate portrait of a family unraveling under overwhelming, uncontrollable forces. Walter Salles, with his raw style and unmatched sensitivity, returns to the theme of a country immersed in repression, but rather than focusing on big political events, he zeroes in on their consequences within homes and personal lives. By centering the story on family drama, Salles subverts the expectation of a traditional historical film, avoiding documentary tones or a broad, structural focus. Here, 1970s Brazil is felt through the struggles of the Paiva family, and in the painful details of their shared wounds, Salles portrays the scars left by a dictatorship that, while distorted in collective memory, remains alive in the lives it shattered.

Choosing to center the narrative through Eunice's perspective-played by the iconic Fernanda Torres and Fernanda Montenegro-lends the film an undeniable authenticity. While dealing with the loss of her husband, Rubens Paiva (Selton Mello), a public figure and defender of the people's rights, Eunice has to keep the family together and maintain her children's emotional stability. Eunice is the pure embodiment of resilience and motherly love, and her daily routine, her rituals with her children, and moments shared as a family are slices of a once-ordinary life, now wrecked by an abrupt absence. Family dinners and memories of beach outings become painful when revisited after Rubens' disappearance, as they reveal the empty space left by systemic violence. Salles skillfully uses this family intimacy to show how dictatorship destroys emotional bonds and disrupts each home's peace, prompting audiences to reflect on how history is also shaped by losses and silent moments in everyday life.

Fernanda Torres' performance is intensely deserving of praise. She embodies a woman who refuses to let grief immobilize her, balancing the protection of her children with the relentless search for answers about her husband's whereabouts. This balance between strength and vulnerability gives Eunice a striking and essential presence in the film. In a moving and remarkably mature performance, Montenegro, as the older Eunice, intensifies the impact of Rubens' absence, bringing a heavy, almost physical silence that resonates in those who never got the chance to say goodbye. The real-life relationship between Montenegro and Torres as mother and daughter adds authenticity to the transitions across time, making Eunice's portrayal even more heartfelt and believable. This genuine continuity allows Salles' film to transcend mere fiction and reach a depth that only a personal story can achieve.

Technically, the film is a visual achievement that captures this family's intimate pain through meticulously crafted cinematography. The use of confined spaces and close-up shots reveals the characters' physical and psychological confinement, mirroring the oppression that hangs over their lives. The soundtrack follows the most emotional scenes with an almost mystical quality, blending with the characters' feelings like a whisper that holds the pains of the past. Salles' use of music is interesting, not just to intensify the drama but to evoke an almost tangible nostalgia in the air, an echo of absences that can never be overcome. This balance between aesthetics and emotion transforms the film into both a tribute to interrupted lives and a celebration of the struggle for justice and memory.

The narrative avoids an easy or simplistic conclusion, choosing instead a more contemplative view on the lasting impact of loss. The film moves forward in time, showing us the future of each family member without offering conclusive or comforting answers. What remains is the pain, an indignation turned into strength, and a refusal to let difficult moments fade into oblivion. Rubens' absence and the commitment of Eunice and her children to preserving his memory result in a catharsis for the audience, as it's both inspiring and deeply moving to see how they, even amid so much pain, resist the urge to let Rubens' legacy be erased-and the film's goal to evoke tears was masterfully achieved, at least for me.

Overall, "I'm Still Here" is one of those rare historical films that, instead of adopting a documentary or openly critical stance, takes a humanistic approach that resonates with our deepest emotions and values. Salles proves his mastery as a filmmaker by crafting a story that is, at once, infuriating and inspiring-a work that reminds us of the importance of keeping the memories and voices of the wronged alive. Through a captivating narrative and an extraordinary cast, he turns the story of a Brazilian family into a universal reminder of human dignity and the importance of memory as a form of resistance.

I'M STILL HERE (2024) Walter Salles' gripping I'M STILL HERE takes on the true story of persecuted journalist Rubens Paiva. It's personal with Salles as he was a childhood friend of the family. Brazil. 1971. The country is run by a brutal dictatorship. Paiva (Selton Mello) is an engineer and ex-congressman from the opposition party. His family tries to live as normal a life as possible, until he's seized by authorities.

Salles and his writers Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorenga base their script on the memoir of Paiva's son Marcello. It's very well balanced between family and politics. Right from the start we see his oldest daughter Veroca (Valentina Herszage) out with friends on a typical fun night when suddenly, they are pulled over and roughed up by military police looking for radical 'hippies'. There is an atmosphere of kidnapping and danger in the air. Veroca is sent overseas for her protection.

Once Paiva is captured, the emphasis turns to his wife Eunice, brilliantly played by Fernanda Torres. She battles not only to find and get her husband released, but is the rock that keeps the family together. It's a strong drama which Salles and his team make both palpable and universal beyond Brazil's borders. It remains timely as its warnings about oppression sadly remain potent today. Shooting on 35mm, Adrian Teijido gives it a gritty, but organic look. Warren Ellis' score is quite fine. Salles (THE MOTORCYLE DIARIES, ON THE ROAD) has a real feel for the material. The epilogue is a bit elongated even if it imparts some closure and a chance to see Fernanda Montenegro once again (Oscar nominee for Salles' excellent CENTRAL STATION - and, the mother of of Fernanda Torres).

I'M STILL HERE is a superb effort from Salles, and Rubens Paiva's story is worth telling.

I'm Still Here is a very special film. It has a story that makes the viewer very interested in seeing how it unfolds. However, what this film has the best quality for is the Fernanda Torres' performance is moving, captivating, one of the best performances I've ever seen. It's truly surreal how talented she is, just like her mother. Furthermore, the film is directed by Walter Salles who had already worked on the excellent film Central Station, with Fernanda Montenegro, in this film he shows himself to be very competent. He is a very talented guy in what he does. Overall, I'm Still Here is the best foreign film of the year, a beautiful movie.

I have to say that I have the highest regard for Walter Salles' gifts as a movie director. Back in 1999, I found truly impressive one of his early films, CENTRAL DO BRASIL (CENTRAL STATION), with Fernanda Montenegro delivering one of her most thoughtful and sensitive performances.

As mesmerising as that film was, it came nowhere near the merits and masterpiece status that AINDA ESTOU AQUI (I'M STILL HERE) richly shows from beginning to end.

This masterpiece is anchored by a superb script by Murilo Hauser off the book by Marcelo Paiva, the son of MP Rubens Paiva who was abducted by the Brazilian Military Police from his house in January 1971. The way the police go about it is truly sinister, keeping the family jailed in its own house, not allowing the wife to see the husband, not disclosing any info relating to the abductee's whereabouts, taking even one of the children for interrogation.

There are two towering performances in AINDA ESTOU AQUI: Fernanda Torres, in it almost continuously until the last 15 minutes, and Selton Mello as the luckless MP who quietly tries to help individuals sought and detained by the dictatorship, then with Emilio Médici as Brazilian president.

You can feel the noose tightening around the family, with the authorities showing no concern at all that the family included five teenagers needing food and education. Fernanda Torres plays a highly dignified Eunice as the wife doing all she can to retrieve her husband whilst raising her numerous brood.

Torres delivers a quiet, moving performance in which her eyes tell you more than any words. Slender and elegant, she holds her family together, has to look for work and studies at university to become a lawyer, which she does by age 48.

Cinematography by Adrian Teijido is absolutely top notch, as is the editing by Afonso Gonçalves.

It is not an easy film to watch, bubbling with concealed violence that constricts the family more and more.

I hope today's Brazilian Government watches and takes note of this film's content and message because it depicts a past that simply must not be repeated. There is much to learn from it, and not just by Brazil - by any country in the world, even self-styled "greatest democracies".

Definite must-see. I can confidently predict that no film competing for Oscars this year is better. 10/10.

Fernanda Torres gives an incredible performance, showing Eunice's strength and vulnerability in such a real and powerful way. She makes you feel every moment of the story, and her acting is unforgettable.

What makes "I'm Still Here" even more meaningful is how much it connects to what's happening in the world today. It's a strong reminder of the dangers of governments having too much power and why it's so important to protect democracy. The story of standing up to injustice feels relatable no matter where you're from, making this movie much bigger than just its Brazilian roots.

This film is a true example of how strong people can be, even in the worst situations. The acting, especially from Fernanda Torres, and the emotional story make it a must-see. It really stays with you, both on a personal level and when thinking about the bigger issues in the world.

It's also important to remember how hard it is to make a movie like this in Brazil. Creating art in places like Brazil comes with a lot of challenges that don't exist in the US or Europe, like limited resources and political difficulties. That makes this film even more special and inspiring.

"I'm Still Here" isn't just a movie-it's an important story that everyone should watch and talk about.