Cinema I’m Here reopens family album tarnished by military dictatorshipBrazil’s candidate for a place at the Oscar for Best International Film in 2025 opens in Brazilian cinemas on November 7th today at 3pm

The military dictatorship was one of the saddest chapters in Brazilian history and our cinema has always tried to represent the period, marked by authoritarianism and repression, in the most varied ways, whether in documentary format, like Goat Marked for Death (1984), from Eduardo Coutinhoor in fictions based on facts, as in Marighella (2019), from Wagner Moura.

Centered on the effect of the military’s terrifying, omnipresent, and faceless power, I’m Still Herenew work by Walter Salles (Central Brazil) — which hits Brazilian cinemas on November 7th and is based on the real story of the writer’s family Marcelo Rubens Paiva — invites us to open an album of memories stained by the horrors of the period.

Like a sad irony, I’m Still Here It starts with a warm and hearty gathering between family and friends. Some moments give clues that something is not right, but the moment is affectionate and friendly, a pulse of life and dialogue. The family photography scene, which appears on the poster, will be given new meaning until the end of the film, but not before being followed by a clear turning point, which occurs when Rubens Paiva (Selton Mello, The Auto da Compadecida) is taken for interrogation never to be seen again.

At home, they stay Eunice Paivaplayed by Fernanda Torres (Foreign Land), and his five children, including one who is still young Marcelo Rubens Paivawho would become the author of the book of the same name used to develop the script written by himself Walter Salles together with Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorega — double winner of the Best Screenplay award at the Venice Film Festival.

With the tragedy of the loss of the patriarch, father and husband, there is a break in that idyllic world of Paiva. The house closes, representing the arrival of oppression. The presence of the music, so vibrant at the beginning, gives way to silence and anguish, demanding a new approach to filming, with more fixed cameras and dark spaces, which reflect the tension of the period.

It is worth highlighting the way in which the agents of the dictatorship are portrayed. Instead of being shown as brutal, Walter Salles chooses to present them as complex beings, making the scenes of violence even more disturbing. Not that I’m Still Hereexplore physical violence; it is worked in a more psychological way, taking on an air of distressing terror. Faced with the constant presence of this “friendly” enemy in the house, the only thing left to do is Eunice suppressing feelings and hiding the truth from children.

Fernanda Torres is at the height of his career in a sweeping and frighteningly moving performance. Through looks and gestures, the actress manages to convey feelings and pain, in addition to experiencing chilling moments. His scenes in the Department of Political and Social Order (Dops) are suffocating and revolting. The sounds in the background remind you of something already done in Zone of Interesta feature film that won the Oscar for Best Sound at the 2024 Oscars, in which we know what happens there, although we are never eyewitnesses to that terror.

Despite the tragic story, the film Salles does not force an emotional response from the audience; on the contrary, the restraint in the acting and direction creates a complicity with the characters, allowing the audience to feel the arbitrariness of life and power.

The film also stands out for its unique approach, which contrasts with the fragmented narrative typical of modern productions. In times of streaming and fast content, I’m Still Here proposes a cinematic experience that values ​​time and depth, allowing the audience to truly connect with the characters and their stories. It’s really as if we were sitting in front of a member of the Paiva who is telling us this story stained by the military dictatorship.

However, I’m Still Here is not limited to telling the story of Eunice or the disappearance of Rubensalso reflecting on an era marked by struggle and the search for a fairer Brazil. In short, the film is more than a cinematographic work about a dark period in Brazilian history, it is a profound reflection on pain, loss and human resilience in the face of oppression.

Walter Salleswith his characteristic sensitivity already known to us Brazilians, transforms the real story of the family Paiva in an intimate and, at the same time, universal portrait, rescuing painful memories of the military dictatorship and reiterating the importance of not forgetting the mistakes of the past, proposing that the pain of victims of authoritarian regimes be understood and respected, also evoking the need to fight for the preservation of democracy so that this stain, which, unfortunately, will never disappear, at least never gets new doses of ink again.

Rolling Stone Brazil film special

Cinema is the theme of the new printed special from Rolling Stone Brazil. In a magazine dedicated to lovers of the seventh art, we interviewed Francis Ford Coppolawho turns 85 amid the release of his new film, Megalopolisa bold and million-dollar undertaking financed by himself.

Unshakable in the face of controversial reactions to the novelty, which took around 40 years to get off the ground, the filmmaker defends the cinema industry’s boldness in being creative and opens up, in plain Portuguese, about Brazil’s influence in his new film: “Alegria” .

The special also features conversations with Walter Salles, Fernanda Torres and Selton Mello on I’m Still Herea chat about soundtracks with the maestro João Carlos Martinsan exclusive list with the 100 best films in history (50 national, 50 international), another list with the 101 greatest soundtracks in the history of cinema, a warm-up for Oscar 2025 and the release radar of Globoplay, Globo Filmes, O2 Play and O2 Filmes for the coming months.

The movie special Rolling Stone Brazil It hits newsstands in November, but can now be pre-purchased at the Perfil publisher’s store for R$29.90, with shipping starting on November 6th.

READ THE ORIGINAL REVIEW AT: I’m Still Here reopens family album tarnished by military dictatorship

What has been the best film of 2024 so far? Vote for your favorite!

• The Snow Society
• Anatomy of a Fall
• Poor Creatures
• The Boy and the Crane
• Dune: Part 2
• All of Us Strangers
• Godzilla and Kong: The New Empire
• Civil War
• Inside Out 2
• Bandit: Number One
• Deadpool & Wolverine
• This Is How It Ends
• The Substance
• Joker: Delirium for Two
• The Girl of the Time
• Smile 2
• The Room Next Door
• Venom: The Last Round
• Megalopolis
• Terrifier 3