Rio de Janeiro, 1970. Below a navy dictatorship.
It’s sunny on the seashore when Eunice notices the helicopter’s sounds. Her youngsters are laughing and having a pleasant day — they only discovered a small, cute stray canine that they wish to take residence —, the seashore is crowded with folks and Eunice is swimming within the sea. On the floor, this could possibly be simply one other nice day in Leblon, 1970, however the first minutes of I’m Nonetheless Right here inform us immediately that this isn’t the case. Each second of tenderness, happiness, or normality that occurs in the course of the first half hour of the film is surrounded by this impenetrable, oppressive feeling — dangerous issues are occurring to folks throughout Brazil, and one thing dangerous is about to occur to this household as effectively.
Primarily based on the autobiography of the identical title written by Marcelo Rubens Paiva, I’m Nonetheless Right here tells the story of the Paiva household: Eunice Paiva (Fernanda Torres for a lot of the film, Fernanda Montenegro in the direction of the top,) Rubens Paiva (Selton Mello), and their 5 youngsters. After Rubens is taken by navy brokers for interrogatory and by no means returns, Eunice and the youngsters are left behind to take care of lots by themselves — beginning with the excruciating silence relating to Rubens’ whereabouts.
I am Nonetheless Right here. Pictured: Fernanda Torres as Eunice, Selton Mello as Rubens, Valentina Herszage as Veroca, Barbara Luz as Nalu. All Rights Reserved
The film makes use of its first half hour to let the viewers enter the Paiva’s home and develop into immersed within the 1970’s local weather. It exhibits some good, particular issues — vinyl data being performed right here and there, Eunice’s cheese soufflé bringing that cozy happiness, all of the dancing at events with associates and siblings, and all of the people who come and go from their residence. The home is so energetic, and there’s a lot to do and a lot laughter and harmless pleasure above the upcoming darkness that approaches them. The film exhibits among the dangerous issues from the get-go as effectively — one of many older siblings is violently inspected by cops alongside together with her associates in a quick however efficient scene that tells lots in regards to the current dictatorship, which is everywhere in the information, and it is also in the best way Rubens and his associates speak, it’s on the seashore when the Paivas and their family members are taking a photograph — the navy energy is in all places.
“The general public vacation on 20 January 1971 was a day that had no finish. It took us a very long time to grasp why that day existed and why it was the best way it was.” — Excerpt from Marcelo Rubens Paiva’s e book I am Nonetheless Right here.
One other factor about this primary half hour that makes what comes subsequent painful is the way it showcases Rubens’ relationship with every of his youngsters: taking part in a sport of foosball with Marcelo (Guilherme Silveira because the youthful Marcelo, Antonio Saboia as his grownup model), “hiding” Babiu’s (Cora Mora, Olivia Torres) tooth on the seashore, dancing with Veroca (Valentina Herszage, Maria Manoella) throughout her farewell occasion, holding Eliana (Luiza Kosovski, Marjorie Estiano) whereas the adults speak, and eventually, a second earlier than being taken by the brokers, saying goodbye to Nalu (Barbara Luz, Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha) whereas she clothes his shirt. Selton Mello is resonant as Rubens, this robust, heat determine that irradiates vitality to everybody till the curtains of the home are forcibly closed by the navy brokers and he’s taken, and his chemistry with the solid, particularly with Torres, is a particular a part of why this film works so effectively.
A couple of hours after Rubens is gone, Eunice and Eliana are taken for questioning too, and horror unfolds. What we see is grotesque, sure — the screams, the blood washed away, the disadvantaged sleep, and all of the violence — however what we don’t see, the issues which are solely implied and left for creativeness, they set up a residing nightmare. Torres does heavy, good performing work throughout this half, and when Eunice is launched after days of torture, throughout her first bathe after jail — that’s when Torres begins hitting all the proper notes scene after scene in a mesmerizing and devastating method.
Eunice has lots to take care of: the captors are denying Rubens’ jail, they refuse to acknowledge what was completed to him and the place he’s; the financial institution received’t let Eunice withdraw some cash from his account to her despair — not solely does she has 5 youngsters to lift, however the payments received’t cease coming. There’s additionally Zezé (Pri Helena), the Paiva’s housekeeper who takes care of the youngsters after Eunice and Rubens are taken; it’s been months since her final fee, and Eunice can’t afford her companies anymore. Then Pimpão, the little canine adopted when the film began, dies, and one afternoon Eunice is hit by the reality: Rubens isn’t returning.
One of many household associates confirms it: he’s useless, and their on a regular basis life is now previously. This offers area for Torres to carry out among the greatest scenes of the film, as this self-contained girl who’s deeply damage and struggling in silence, so she will’t converse freely; her eyes inform the entire story. Fernanda Torres’ tour de power efficiency is one for the ages, the most effective and most magnetic of the 12 months, and Eunice’s quiet fury and mild fierceness maintain this film till the final minute when she’s performed by Torres’ mom Fernanda Montenegro in a devastating, unforgettable scene led by an actress with an intensive command of her talents.
I am Nonetheless Right here. Pictured: Fernanda Torres as Eunice. All Rights Reserved
As soon as Veroca returns from Europe, virtually all the things is settled: they not have a housekeeper, their home was bought, and they’re transferring to São Paulo. The youngsters don’t take the information very effectively; it’s price mentioning that a few of them nonetheless hope their father is returning. In any case, Eunice doesn’t inform them immediately that she is aware of Rubens is useless. That is vital, by the best way. Rubens didn’t inform Eunice in regards to the letters as a result of he didn’t wish to damage Eunice and the youngsters. Eunice hides the disagreeable truths from the youngsters — she doesn’t speak in regards to the time she was tortured and refrained from residence, and she or he doesn’t about what occurred to Rubens. And isn’t this how a few of us deal with not solely this darkish time of our nation but additionally brutal components of our Historical past? The conversations are prevented, there’s hope all the things might be forgotten quickly — and there’s a lot silence.
If something, I’m Nonetheless Right here is a story of the significance of reminiscence — we have to bear in mind what occurred, and this previous have to be revered — but additionally in regards to the significance of the little issues that may set off reminiscence, like previous pictures, videotapes, letters, and even official paperwork, all of them play a component right here, and their presence all through the film reinforces the central position of reminiscence with regards to going via darkish occasions.
I am Nonetheless Right here. Pictured: Fernanda Torres as Eunice, Luiza Kosovski as Eliana, Guilherme Silveira as Marcelo, Cora Mora as Babiu, Valentina Herszage as Veroca, Barbara Luz as Nalu. All Rights Reserved
Directed by Walter Salles, with a screenplay by Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorega, I’m Nonetheless Right here earned a righteous place within the highlight throughout this awards season as this nice, gut-wrenching drama — particularly after a historic Golden Globes win for Fernanda Torres. It’s beautiful that Torres and this film additionally obtained Oscars nominations, type of recreating the 1999 state of affairs with Montenegro and Salles’ Central Station. One good factor in regards to the visibility this has been getting is how it may be a gateway to different Brazilian or Latin American films, associated or to not dictatorships occurred in the course of the Chilly Warfare — wanting solely to Torres’ numerous filmography, Bruno Barreto’s 4 Days in September (1997), Eduardo Coutinho’s Enjoying (2007), and Jorge Furtado’s Primary Sanitation, the Film (2007) are wonderful suggestions that go from political drama to comedy crowd-pleaser.
One other attention-grabbing factor about it’s the reflection of how a lot combat it takes to search out justice and to combat injustices, and the way simple it’s for the tide to show and what we name democracy to be misplaced. Eunice needed to combat a lot for the acknowledgment of Rubens’ demise. There’s a scene simply after Eunice will get Rubens’ demise certificates through which a reporter asks Eunice one thing alongside the strains of “would not the federal government have extra pressing issues to do than remediate the previous?” and the reply is no. After its final scene, the film tells us that the navy power confessed to murdering Rubens a long time later; but, none of them had been arrested for what they did. Rubens Paiva was a former congressman on the time of his abduction, the Paiva household had some contacts and a few affect; but, all of this occurred to them. On this sense, I am Nonetheless Right here is an invite to consider the various different households that lived related tales throughout this navy dictatorship, going through related horrors and related endings — it is likely to be as effectively a approach to bear in mind all these victims, might they by no means be forgotten.
I am Nonetheless Right here is obtainable in Brazil, the US, UK and Irish cinemas, and plenty of different nations in Europe and Latin America.
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