What It’s About:
In 1970 Rio de Janeiro, the Pava family, comprised of father Rubens (Mello), wife Eunice (Torres) and their five children, live in a happy, sun-drenched house just a stone’s throw from the beach. A former congressman, Rubens is secretly aiding those opposed to the country’s military regime, which up to now has maintained its distance. Then one day, Rubens is taken away for questioning. Time passes, and he doesn’t return. The government claims no knowledge of his whereabouts. If Rubens is gone for good, how will Eunice respond?
Why We Love It:
Winner of the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, director Salles’ arresting, fact-based feature depicts one woman’s evolution and struggle to ensure accountability for her husband and other victims of Brazil’s military junta, which ruled from 1964-1985. The whole cast excels, but the Oscar-nominated Torres steals the film as Eunice. Her performance runs the gamut from fear and grief to a steely determination to protect her family and ensure their loss is never forgotten. (Torres’s mother Fernanda Montenegro, who’d starred in Salles’ “Central Station” nearly three decades earlier, plays Eunice as an old woman.) True to its title, “I’m Still Here” presents an inspiring true story of perseverance against stiff odds.