I'm Still Here (2024 film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids I'm Still Here |
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Brazilian theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Walter Salles |
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| Music by | Warren Ellis |
| Cinematography | Adrian Teijido |
| Editing by | Affonso Gonçalves |
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| Release date(s) | 1 September 2024 (Venice) 7 November 2024 (Brazil) 15 January 2025 (France) |
| Running time | 138 minutes |
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| Language | Portuguese |
| Money made | US$36.1 million |
I'm Still Here (in Portuguese, Ainda Estou Aqui) is a drama film released in 2024. It was directed by Walter Salles and tells a true story based on a book by Marcelo Rubens Paiva. The movie is about Eunice Paiva, a mother and activist, played by Fernanda Torres and Fernanda Montenegro. It shows how she dealt with the disappearance of her husband, Rubens Paiva (Selton Mello), who was a politician. This happened during a time when the military ruled Brazil, and many people were taken away without explanation.
The film first showed at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on September 1, 2024. It was highly praised, especially for Fernanda Torres's acting. It won the Best Screenplay award at Venice. The National Board of Review also named it one of the Top 5 International Films of 2024. At the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, Fernanda Torres won Best Actress in a Drama Film. The movie was also nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globes, Critics' Choice Movie Awards, and BAFTA Awards. At the 97th Academy Awards, the film was nominated for Best Actress (Torres) and Best Picture. It won the award for Best International Feature Film, making it the first Brazilian-made film to win an Oscar.
After its release in Brazil on November 7, 2024, some groups tried to boycott the film. These groups disagreed with the film's portrayal of the military rule as a dictatorship. Despite this, the movie earned $36.1 million, becoming the highest-grossing Brazilian film since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Contents
What the Story Is About
In December 1970, Rubens Paiva lived happily near Leblon beach with his wife, Eunice Paiva, and their five children. Rubens had been a politician but was no longer allowed to hold his position after the 1964 Brazilian coup d'état. He secretly continued to help people who had to leave Brazil for political reasons, but he didn't talk about these activities with his family.
Brazil faced political problems after a Swiss ambassador was kidnapped by revolutionary groups. Because of this, some of their friends decided to move to London and took the Paivas' oldest daughter, Vera, with them. Vera had seen military violence before, which made her parents worry. In January 1971, military police raided Rubens Paiva's house. They arrested him, and he was never seen again.
Eunice publicly asked where Rubens was, which led to her own arrest and torture for 12 days. Their teenage daughter, Eliana, was also held for 24 hours before being released. Eunice was questioned about whether her husband was involved with groups that wanted democracy, but she denied it.
Newspapers falsely reported that Rubens had fled the country. However, Eunice and her friends suspected he was still in Brazil. With the help of a lawyer, she tried to find him. She learned that Rubens had been secretly helping political exiles. A former teacher, Martha, confirmed she was imprisoned with Rubens but was afraid to speak out. Later, Martha wrote a letter describing her arrest. A journalist friend, Félix, told Eunice that Rubens had been killed, but the military would not confirm it.
Left to raise her children alone, Eunice sold their home and moved to São Paulo to be closer to her family.
Years Later
Twenty-five years later, in 1996, Brazil was a democracy again. Eunice received Rubens Paiva's official death certificate from the government. Surrounded by journalists, she called for the government to help families who had suffered and to hold those responsible for crimes during the military rule accountable.
In 2014, Eunice was 85 years old and used a wheelchair. She had advanced Alzheimer's disease. During a family gathering with her children and grandchildren, a news report about the National Truth Commission mentioned Rubens's case. Eunice seemed to remember her past, showing how deeply the events affected her.
The film's ending explains that five people were identified as responsible for Rubens Paiva's death. He was killed at a military intelligence center between January 21 and 22, 1971. However, none of those responsible were punished. The film also shares that Eunice went to law school at age 48. She became an expert on the rights of indigenous people in Brazil and advised the government, the World Bank, and the United Nations. She passed away in 2018 at 89 years old.
Main Actors
- Fernanda Torres plays Eunice Paiva
- Fernanda Montenegro plays Eunice Paiva (when she is older)
- Selton Mello plays Rubens Paiva
- Guilherme Silveira plays Marcelo Rubens Paiva (as a child)
- Antonio Saboia plays Marcelo Rubens Paiva (as an adult)
- Valentina Herszage plays Vera Paiva (as a child)
- Maria Manoella plays Vera Paiva (when she is older)
- Luiza Kosovski plays Eliana Paiva (as a child)
- Marjorie Estiano plays Eliana Paiva (when she is older)
- Barbara Luz plays Nalu Paiva (as a child)
- Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha plays Nalu Paiva (when she is older)
- Cora Mora plays Maria Beatriz Facciolla Paiva (as a child)
- Olívia Torres plays Maria Beatriz Facciolla Paiva (as an adult)
- Pri Helena plays Maria José (Zezé)
- Humberto Carrão plays Félix
- Maeve Jinkings plays Dalva Gasparian
- Caio Horowicz plays Ricardo Gomes Pimpão
- Camila Márdila plays Dalal Achcar
- Charles Fricks plays Fernando Gasparian
- Luana Nastas plays Helena Gasparian
- Isadora Ruppert plays Laura Gasparian
- Daniel Dantas plays Raul Ryff
- Maitê Padilha plays Cristina
- Carla Ribas plays Martha
- Dan Stulbach plays Bocaiuva Cunha
- Helena Albergaria plays Beatriz Bandeira
How the Film Was Made
The story for the film was written by Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorega. It was based on the book Ainda Estou Aqui by Marcelo Rubens Paiva, who is Eunice's son. Murilo Hauser also helped write the screenplay for another film called The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão (2019).
Filming started in June 2023 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Many companies worked together to produce the film, including RT Features, VideoFilmes, Globoplay, Mact Productions, Conspiração Filmes, and Arte France Cinéma.
Film Release and Awards
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In May 2024, Sony Pictures Classics bought the rights to distribute I'm Still Here in North America and several other regions.
The film had its first showing at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on September 1, 2024. It received a standing ovation that lasted over 10 minutes. The film was competing for the Golden Lion award and won the Best Screenplay prize. In September and October 2024, it was shown at other film festivals, including Toronto, New York, and London. It also premiered in Asia at China's Pingyao International Film Festival.
To be considered for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, the movie had a special limited showing in the Brazilian city of Salvador from September 19 to 25, 2024. It then had a wider release across Brazil on November 7, 2024, by Sony Pictures Releasing. I'm Still Here was released in France on January 15, 2025, by StudioCanal. In the United States, it had a special showing in November 2024 for awards consideration. It then had a limited release in New York City and Los Angeles on January 17, 2025, before being shown in more cities on February 14, 2025.
The film became available for streaming in the United States on March 11, 2025. It was released on the Brazilian streaming service Globoplay on April 6, 2025.
See also
In Spanish: Aún estoy aquí (película de 2024) para niños
- Ainda Estou Aqui
