Review

I'm Still Here marks the return of Brazilian master filmmaker Walter Salles with his first feature in a decade, following Jia Zhangke, A Guy from Fenyang (2014). Based on the memoir of human rights lawyer Rubens Paiva, the film tells the story of a woman fighting to uncover the truth about her husband’s forced disappearance—all while raising five children. Brazil experienced military dictatorship ever since the 1964 coup until the civilian government in 1985. The years between 1970 and 1971, when the film is set, were especially violent, with illegal detentions, torture, and secret burials of political dissidents. The happy "bourgeois" Paiva family crumbles when Congressman Rubens Paiva is arrested without cause. The military refuses to confirm his whereabouts and freezes the family's bank accounts, pushing them into financial ruin. The film captures Eunice's unwavering pursuit of justice and her determination to protect her family. The depiction of state brutality is harrowing—and feels all the more chilling given our own current political tensions. I’m Still Here won the Academy Award for Best International Feature this year, and lead actress Fernanda Torres received the Golden Globe for Best Actress. (MOON Seok)

More +Less -