I’m Still Here / Ainda Estou Aqui, the latest film by acclaimed director Walter Salles, will represent Brazil in the international feature race at the 97th Academy Awards. This marks the fourth time Salles has secured Brazil’s Oscar candidacy, following Exposure (1991), Central Station (1998), and Behind the Sun (2001). Salles aims to bring Brazil its fifth nomination, having already earned one for Central Station, which was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, with its lead, Fernanda Montenegro, also receiving a Best Actress nomination.
I’m Still Here had its world premiere in the official competition at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month, where it won the Best Screenplay Award. It also screened at the Toronto and San Sebastián Film Festivals and will have its U.S. premiere at the New York Film Festival in a few days.
Starring Fernanda Montenegro, Maeve Jinkings, Fernanda Torres, and Selton Mello, I’m Still Here tells the true story of the Paiva family and their five children. In 1970s Rio de Janeiro, during the military dictatorship, former deputy Rubens Paiva was taken from his home by soldiers for interrogation and was never seen again. The search for the truth lasted 30 long years, but just as answers began to emerge, Eunice Paiva, his wife, began showing the first signs of Alzheimer's disease.
