Walter Salles’s drama, based on the real-life disappearance of Brazil’s Congressman Rubens Paiva during the military dictatorship in the 1970s, takes home the Best International Feature Oscar
I’m Still Here, a political drama directed by Walter Salles, won the Oscar for Best International Feature at the 2025 Academy Awards. “This goes to a woman who, after a loss suffered during an authoritarian regime, decided not to bend, and to resist… And, it goes to the two extraordinary women who gave life to her, Fernanda Torres and Fernanda Montenegro,” Salles, who got the standing ovation, said in his speech. Salles, one of the greatest Brazilian filmmakers and an important figure of Resumption cinema, has made films like The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) and On the Road (2012), and produced City of God (2002).
The film, which tells the story of the real-life disappearance of Brazilian congressman (Labour Party) Rubens Paiva during the military dictatorship of the 1970s, was up against The Girl with the Needle (Denmark), Emilia Pérez (France), The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany), and Flow (Latvia).
I’m Still Here has been widely acclaimed for its sensitive portrayal of the traumatic aftermath of forced disappearances under Brazil’s military regime. The film also earned a Best Actress nomination for Fernanda Torres, who plays Eunice Paiva, the wife of Rubens Paiva, throughout most of the film, while her real-life mother Montenegro plays Paiva as an older woman. Torres’s nomination marks a historic moment, 26 years after her mother, Fernanda Montenegro, received the same honour for her role in Central Station (1998).
The story behind I’m Still Here
Based on the 2015 memoir by Marcelo Rubens Paiva, I’m Still Here follows Eunice Paiva’s decades-long battle to uncover the truth about her husband’s disappearance. Rubens Paiva, a congressman and opponent of the military junta, was abducted and murdered in 1971. His body was never found, and the Brazilian state refused to acknowledge his death for over 25 years. Eunice, played by Torres, becomes a tireless advocate for human rights and works to keep her husband’s story alive, even in the face of government silence and denial.
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The film’s depiction of Eunice’s fight for justice struck a particular chord with Brazilian audiences, who have been grappling with the legacies of the dictatorship and the recent political turmoil in the country. Walter Salles, known for his previous works such as Central Station, has long been celebrated for his ability to weave personal and political narratives. I’m Still Here marks his return to Brazilian history.
The film’s production spanned seven years, with filming beginning in 2023. The project was completed during a politically fraught time in Brazil, as former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro’s supporters attempted a coup in late 2022. In a conversation with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Salles remarked, “The movie would not have been possible during the Bolsonaro years. When we realised the film was being released as the country was facing another potential military coup, it felt like we were telling a story about today.”
The personal is the political
Salles’s film blends the personal with the political, focusing on the quiet resilience of one woman in the face of an oppressive regime. Early scenes in the film show Eunice’s life before her husband’s abduction, a life that seems comfortable and secure, despite the mounting political tensions in the country. The later shift in the film to moments of brutal violence and loss feels jarring, as the film shows the toll that the regime took on its citizens and the Paiva family in particular.
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Torres’s portrayal of Eunice Paiva has been widely praised for its depth and sensitivity and for capturing the emotional weight of a woman who must navigate personal grief while fighting for justice in a society that refuses to acknowledge her pain. The success of I’m Still Here at the Oscars comes at a time of renewed political tension in Brazil. The country is still processing the consequences of Jair Bolsonaro’s presidency and the political violence that marked his tenure. The timing of the film’s release was fortuitous, as it resonated deeply with Brazilian audiences who had witnessed firsthand the recent attempts at undermining democracy by the far-right.
Salles himself noted the eerie relevance of the film’s story to contemporary events. In an interview, he explained that, while shooting the film, “We had no idea there had been a failed military coup at the end of 2022, and that the assassination of President Lula had almost been the reality of the country.” This uncanny timing has only added to the film’s impact, making it a commentary on vigilance in the face of growing authoritarianism.
