A story rooted in a moment of Brazil’s history, Walter Salles’ latest, I’m Still Here, goes beyond politics to present a moving portrait of a family rocked by instability and uncertainty.
The film is Brazilian director Salles’ first feature film since 2012’s On the Road, and it premiered to raves at the Venice Film Festival where it won best screenplay for writers Heitor Lorega and Murilo Hauser. The film also screened as part of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival and is Brazil’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature.
Set in the early 1970s, I’m Still Here quickly establishes the middle-class Paiva family as a happy one: living near the beach, the family is full of energy and life. The five children play volleyball by the sea as their parents host dinner parties with like-minded friends while the country is under military dictatorship. Thus far, the happy family has been untouched by a government that sees anyone who is deemed a threat arrested.
Salles knew the real-life Paiva family as a child, so perhaps that is why their homelife is painted so idyllically. However, his closeness assists the storytelling, not hampering it with sentimentality.
At the head of the household of rambunctious daughters and one son, Rubens Paiva (Selton Mello) is a former Labour Party congressman who, along with his like-minded network, organizes safe houses while working with foreign journalists. With his affluence and confidence, Reubens believes the current wave of threats and fear will blow over, convincing wife Eunice (Fernanda Torres) that it’s best for the family to stay-put and weather this storm.
The affection that Salles feels for the family is evident, especially in the first half of the film. Tinged in a sunset-hued light, we see the siblings dancing in the living room, discussing boys, and giggling over a newfound dog. Awash in warm hues under cinematographer Adrian Teijidos, the images evoke a comforting and loving household with 35mm film offering that perfect ’70s aesthetic. It is not until eldest daughter Vera (Valentina Herszage) has an encounter during a police roadblock that the regime’s power seeps into the Paivas’ sheltered lives.
Mello is the main draw here for the first third of the film until Rubens is inevitably whisked away for questioning, never to be seen again. Here, the film’s spotlight shifts to the family matriarch as she fights for her husband’s return and to keep her young brood as removed from the drama as possible. Torres’ performance is one of courage and determination, defying government thugs set on intimidation. She is the epitome of a “mother bear,” guarding her cubs from the horrors of reality as much as she can, for as long as possible. Both the Paiva adults are portrayed in a reverential light as the screenplay is based on the book by Rubens and Eunice’s son, Marcelo. In his book, Eunice is the hero, left to raise five children while containing her grief, earning a law degree at age 48.
The film loses some steam as it jumps ahead for 25 years, then nearly another 20 as it shows us Eunice’s continued fight for justice, closure, and democracy in the face of human rights’ abuses. It is through these time jumps that we see that Eunice has been successful in keeping her family together despite tragedy and upheaval. The family has not only been held together, it has thrived and flourished as spouses, kids, and grandkids gather to celebrate, bringing things to an emotionally satisfying conclusion. I’m Still Here is one that should be on viewers’ radar this awards season.