'I'm Still Here': Fernanda Torres Shines As A Symbol Of Feminine Resilience
‘I’m Still Here’, a story brought to life by Walter Salles, is a poignant depiction of contrast. It is a story of survival and resilience amidst a regime that shows no mercy. Salles builds his movie around the candid intimacy of the Paiva family; tainting the sandy, vibrant beaches of 1970s Rio de Janeiro with circling military helicopters and patrolling army vehicles. He follows their grief and mourning not with grand declarations or protests, but through their quiet, daily struggle against political upheaval and human rights abuses. This adaptation of Marcelo Rubens Paiva’s memoir is both striking and evocative, leaving audiences both more aware of Brazil’s military dictatorship and emotionally connected to a family at its forefront.
Salles’ film is political by nature, but not consumed by politics. The Paiva household is a cultured haven of ‘hippie’ records, books and dancing. It is spontaneous; the door is always open, with friends and family breezing through for birthdays, parties, and Eunice’s iconic soufflé - all captured by Vera Paiva’s Super 8 camera. The children leave damp swimming costume imprints on their yellow-hued sofas, and breadcrumb trails of sandy feet through the living room. Bedrooms are adorned with band posters and colourful throws. Their home is immovable; a space that dictatorship fails to penetrate. Frozen in time, the Paiva household embodies a Brazilian dream. Ruben Paiva, father and former congressman, talks business in the background, clouded by plumes of cigar smoke. But that’s all it ever is - a passing comment, a fleeting conversation. The essence of ‘I’m Still Here’ does not lie within the political stance of its characters, but in the unacceptable injustice faced regardless of their views.
This picturesque illusion of tranquility and expression is shattered when Mr Paiva is forcibly taken by a nondescript group of men, who proceed to occupy the house. Shortly after, Eunice Paiva and her second-eldest daughter, Eliana, are also taken. Salles moves from intimate depictions of an enviable family life to harrowing scenes of Eunice’s life inside the prison. She hears the screams of fellow prisoners, witnesses torture, and fears for her and her daughter’s lives. Military officials press her for information on communist sympathisers, berating her with photos of strangers and her family alike.
Fernanda Torres depicts the bastion of quiet strength that is Eunice Paiva with dedicated accuracy. Eunice adopts the role of family leader with grace and determination. Her struggle is not one of ego and bravado, but of humble perseverance. Eunice Paiva goes on to train as a lawyer and became integral in the fight for freedom in Brazil - her activism is not merely emotional, but carries significant weight. Whilst Eunice assumes the role of hero in Salles’ story, Torres emerges as the star. She bravely toes the line between melodramatic emotion and insensitivity, portraying Eunice’s delicate grief amidst moments of unbelievable perseverance. Torres captures each subtle, almost unreadable, shift in emotion with scientific precision. Her performance is both understated and shattering, leaving no question as to her success this awards season.
In a pivotal scene, Eunice Paiva convinces her family to smile for a photographer who is insistent a ‘sadder’ image would be more effective, perfectly capturing the essence of her character. Eunice will not allow her family to appear defeated, knowing their joyful resilience is the greatest protest against a fascist regime that feeds off on dehumanisation. The simple defiance of a smile against the oppressor is enough to show that the Paiva family remains unbroken. Eunice’s unerring strength makes for an inspiring tale of feminine resilience and resistance.
Salles takes us on a journey through time, finally landing in 2014. The Paiva family has grown, closely resembling the joyous rabble we first met. Children once again play, whilst the adults eat and converse. The message is one of endurance: a story of growth and cyclical renewal, where grief and despair previously dominated but now merely exist in the background. Life is vibrant, energetic and hopeful again. The military dictatorship employed every means to destroy the simple joy of family life, yet the Paiva family resisted and emerged humbly victorious.
Human memory is too fragile and fleeting to bear the weight of history. Salles memorialises the horrors of the military regime, with this film acting as a striking cautionary tale for the present. Nevertheless, his focus remains on the people and their lives, rather than the political climate. He visualises their fight to live ordinarily in an extraordinary life, emphasising the devastating endurance required to move forward when everything stands still. The story of Eunice and Rubens Paiva is cruel, uncomfortable, and heart-wrenching, but it is also one that must be told, understood, and remembered.
Edited by Emily Henman, Co-Film & TV Editor
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