Walter Salles’ I’m Still Here / Ainda Estou Aqui became the fifth Latin American film to win the Academy Award for Best International Feature, formerly known as Best Foreign Language Film. The victory marks Brazil’s first win in the category after five previous nominations, cementing the country’s place in the pantheon of Hollywood’s Academy Awards.
Starring Fernanda Montenegro, Maeve Jinkings, Fernanda Torres, and Selton Mello, I’m Still Here tells the true story of the Paiva family, whose lives were upended during Brazil’s military dictatorship. In 1971, former deputy Rubens Paiva was taken from his home by soldiers for interrogation and was never seen again. His wife, Eunice, spent decades searching for the truth about his disappearance, but just as answers began to emerge, she began showing the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Salles’ film is a deeply personal and politically charged meditation on memory, loss, and resilience.
Before I’m Still Here, only four Latin American films had won in this category. Argentina was the first country in the region to claim the Oscar with The Official Story / La historia oficial (1985), a drama directed by Luis Puenzo about a woman uncovering the truth about her adopted daughter's origins during the country’s military dictatorship. The film, starring Norma Aleandro and Héctor Alterio, also received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
Argentina won again with The Secret in Their Eyes / El secreto de sus ojos (2009) by Juan José Campanella, a gripping crime thriller starring Ricardo Darín, Soledad Villamil, and Guillermo Francella that masterfully weaves past and present.
Chile followed a few years later with Sebastián Lelio’s A Fantastic Woman / Una mujer fantástica (2017), starring Daniela Vega and Francisco Reyes. The film tells the story of a transgender waitress and nightclub singer who is shocked by the sudden death of her older boyfriend. Mourning the loss of the man she loved, she finds herself under intense scrutiny from those with no regard for her privacy.
One year later, Alfonso Cuarón won the Oscar for Roma (2018), his intimate black-and-white portrait of a domestic worker that became a landmark moment for Latin American cinema. Starring Yalitza Aparicio and Marina de Tavira, Roma received ten nominations, including Best Picture, and won two other awards—Best Director and Best Cinematography—in addition to Best International Feature.
