DramaHistory

I'm Still Here

- When a mother's courage defies tyranny, hope is reborn.

In the early 1970s, the military dictatorship in Brazil reaches its height. The Paiva family - Rubens, Eunice, and their five children - live in a beachside house in Rio, open to all their friends. One day, Rubens is taken for questioning and does not return.

Release Date : 2024-09-19

Language :Portuguese

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : VideoFilmesMACT ProductionsRT FeaturesARTE France CinémaConspiração FilmesGloboplay

Production Country : BrazilFrance

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Eunice Paiva

Original Name : Fernanda Torres

Gender : Female

Character Name : Rubens Paiva

Original Name : Selton Mello

Gender : Male

Character Name : Older Eunice Paiva

Original Name : Fernanda Montenegro

Gender : Female

Character Name : Vera Paiva

Original Name : Valentina Herszage

Gender : Female

Character Name : Eliana Paiva

Original Name : Luiza Kosovski

Gender : Female

Character Name : Marcelo Rubens Paiva

Original Name : Guilherme Silveira

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ana Lúcia "Nalu" Paiva

Original Name : Bárbara Luz

Gender : Female

Character Name : Zezé

Original Name : Pri Helena

Gender : Female

Character Name : Babiu Paiva

Original Name : Cora Mora

Gender : Female

Character Name : Luiz "Baby" Bocayuva

Original Name : Dan Stulbach

Gender : Male

Character Name : Martha

Original Name : Carla Ribas

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dalva Gasparian

Original Name : Maeve Jinkings

Gender : Female

Character Name : Félix

Original Name : Humberto Carrão

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cristina

Original Name : Maitê Padilha

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dr. Schneider

Original Name : Luiz Bertazzo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dalal Achcar

Original Name : Camila Márdila

Gender : Female

Character Name : Lino Machado

Original Name : Thelmo Fernandes

Gender : Male

Character Name : DOI CODI Soldier

Original Name : Augusto Trainotti

Gender : Male

Character Name : Adult Babiu Paiva

Original Name : Olívia Torres

Gender : Female

Character Name : Adult Marcelo Rubens Paiva

Original Name : Antonio Saboia

Gender : Male

Character Name : Adult Vera Paiva

Original Name : Maria Manoella

Gender : Female

Character Name : Adult Eliana Paiva

Original Name : Marjorie Estiano

Gender : Female

Character Name : Adult Ana Lúcia "Nalu" Paiva

Original Name : Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha

Gender : Female

Character Name : Beatriz Ryff

Original Name : Helena Albergaria

Gender : Female

Character Name : Raul Ryff

Original Name : Daniel Dantas

Gender : Male

Character Name : Fernando Gasparian

Original Name : Charles Fricks

Gender : Male

Character Name : Interrogator 1 DOI CODI

Original Name : Lourinelson Vladmir

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pimpão

Original Name : Caio Horowicz

Gender : Male

Character Name : Juca

Original Name : Bernardo Bibancos

Gender : Male

Character Name : Carla

Original Name : Aguida Aguiar

Gender : Male

Character Name : Vinicius Equipe Schneider

Original Name : Daniel Ericsson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Team Schneider 1

Original Name : Renan Lima

Gender : Male

Character Name : Helena Gasparian

Original Name : Luana Nastas

Gender : Female

Character Name : Laura Gasparian

Original Name : Isadora Ruppert

Gender : Female

Character Name : Baby Bocayuva

Original Name : Dan Stulbach

Gender : Male

Character Name : George Marido Veroca

Original Name : Antonio Furtado

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chico

Original Name : Fagundes Emanuel

Gender : Male

Character Name : Daniel

Original Name : Matheus Canto

Gender : Male

Character Name : Familiar Paiva 01

Original Name : Pedro Passarelli

Gender : Male

Character Name : Familiar Paiva 02

Original Name : Mônica Braga

Gender : Male

Character Name : Familiar Paiva 03

Original Name : Giulia Passarelli

Gender : Male

Character Name : Familiar Paiva 04

Original Name : Angela Chieregati Passarelli

Gender : Male

Character Name : Edu Gasparian

Original Name : Lucas Santos

Gender : Male

Character Name : Marcos Gasparian

Original Name : Felipe Nehab

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bento

Original Name : Félix Salles

Gender : Male

Character Name : Joaquim

Original Name : Manoel Taborda

Gender : Male

Character Name : Amigo 1

Original Name : Theo Hoffmeister

Gender : Male

Character Name : Amigo 2

Original Name : João Gabriel Frapolli

Gender : Male

Character Name : Amigo 3

Original Name : Lucas Zampa

Gender : Male

Character Name : Interrogador 2 DOI CODI

Original Name : Alexandre Mello

Gender : Male

Character Name : Equipe Schneider 2

Original Name : Thadeu Matos

Gender : Male

Character Name : Equipe Schneider 3

Original Name : Hugo Camizão

Gender : Male

Character Name : Interrogador 3 DOI CODI

Original Name : Otavio Linhares

Gender : Male

Character Name : Prisioneiro DOI COD

Original Name : Leo Mac-Dowell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Prisioneira DOI CODI

Original Name : Rafaela Mell

Gender : Male

Character Name : PE Blitz 1

Original Name : João Júnior

Gender : Male

Character Name : PE Blitz 2

Original Name : Denis Sauer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ritor

Original Name : Marcelo Várzea

Gender : Male

Character Name : Carla Escrevente Fórum

Original Name : Aguida Aguiar

Gender : Male

Character Name : Marlon Segurança Fórum

Original Name : Daniel de Almeida

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jornalista Manchete

Original Name : Alan Rocha

Gender : Male

Character Name : Fotógrafo Manchete

Original Name : Philipp Lavra

Gender : Male

Character Name : Manuela

Original Name : Ângela Ribeiro

Gender : Female

Character Name : Raquel Cuidadora Eunice

Original Name : Camilla Flores

Gender : Male

Character Name : Silvia

Original Name : Luisa Taborda

Gender : Male

Character Name : Assistente Manuela

Original Name : Mayra Coelho

Gender : Male

Character Name : Escrevente Fórum

Original Name : Ingrid Oliveira

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jovem Músico Blitz

Original Name : Kauã Rodríguez

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bancária

Original Name : Laura Araujo

Gender : Male

Character Name :

Original Name : Daniel Pereira

Gender : Male

Character Name :

Original Name : Tainá Andrade

Gender : Male

Character Name : Locução TVs (voice)

Original Name : Cid Moreira

Gender : Male

Character Name : Locução TVs (voice)

Original Name : Carolina Borelli

Gender : Male

Reviews

Brent Marchant

@Brent_Marchant

2025-01-27

Films featuring dark political themes are an acquired taste for many moviegoers, but, when they tell personal stories within such a context, they generally become more accessible for audience members, even those who might not ordinarily gravitate to pictures in this genre. That’s a goal expertly accomplished in the latest from director Walter Salles. This superb fact-based offering tells the heart-wrenching story of former Brazilian politician Rubens Paiva (Selton Mello) who, in 1971, was seized by, and subsequently disappeared at the hands of, the military dictatorship that overran in the country at that time. Paiva, who was working as an engineer when captured, was taken because of his liberal-leaning politics, especially in his clandestine efforts to assist those opposed to the oppressive policies and practices of Brazil’s hard-line right-wing authorities. His seizure subsequently led to the detainment of his wife, Eunice (Fernanda Torres), and daughter, Eliana (Luiza Kosovski), in an effort to find out who their husband and father may have associated with, as well as what activities he may have engaged in. This harassment by officials, though, was not enough to stop the determination of Eunice and her family from trying to find out what happened to their loved one. In telling this story, the filmmaker not only relates a tale of high suspense, but also presents a compelling chronicle of a family committed to remaining hopeful and uncovering the truth, no matter how horrendous it might ultimately prove to be. In carrying out this mission, “I’m Still Here” successfully fires on all of its cinematic cylinders, perpetually engaging viewers in a gripping, emotionally charged odyssey, not unlike the films of famed filmmaker Costa-Gavras, most notably “Missing” (1982). In my view, this is the film most deserving of this year’s Oscars for best picture, lead actress (Torres) and international picture, hands down, not to mention a bushel of overlooked nominations in other categories. By all means, do not pass this one up.

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2025-01-30

The Paiva family leads an ordinary life until one night when a knock on their door changes things for ever. Rubens (Selton Mello) was formerly a Labour Party congressman in Brazil but now that the military have taken over, he is suspected of ties with the outlawed Communists. He is taken away and shortly after his wife Eunice (Fernanda Torres) and their elder daughter is also taken in for interrogation. For the next twenty minutes or so as she spends an intangible time in jail, we are exposed to some of the most effective cinematic menace I've ever felt. There is no graphic violence nor very little angry dialogue. Indeed, there isn't a great deal of actual physical threat at all. Her imprisonment and her deprivation of information is the stick they beat her with and it's profoundly traumatic. When she is released a week later, she returns home to find nobody has or will disclose any information about her missing husband. As time goes by she and their family have to come to terms with both the emotional and the practical implications as they try to look to the future, unsure of what's in their past. It's perhaps easy to forget amidst the militaristic history of 1970s South America that Brazil also had it's junta and it's fair share of bodies disappearing and that threat is never far away as the film proceeds to slowly follow her attempts to get to the truth, closure and to regain a positive sense of her own purpose. Torres is on great form here. She manages to imbue her characterisation with a fear but also with a sense of defiance. It's not reckless - she has a family to consider, but it's a determined effort to get to the facts, however unpleasant and however long it takes. The intensity of the main plot is diverted, occasionally, by the family and it's own aspirations and problems as they too must come to terms without a father whom they genuinely loved and by the denouement I felt quite drained by just the mere observation of their experiences. To live in a land where routine and permanent disappearances are every day occurrences is unrecognisable to most of us in the West. This reminds us to count our blessings.