Los Angeles [US], March 3: Walter Salles’ I’m Still Here won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film on Sunday, making history as the first Brazilian film to take home the award in this category.
The film, based on the real-life story of Eunice Paiva’s decades-long quest for justice after her husband’s disappearance during Brazil’s military dictatorship, has been steadily gaining recognition. It made a surprise nomination for Best Picture, alongside expected nods for Best International Feature and Best Actress for star Fernanda Torres, solidifying its place as a major contender, as reported by Variety.
I’m Still Here triumphed over other notable contenders, including France’s Emilia Perez, Germany’s The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Denmark’s The Girl With the Needle, and Latvia’s Flow.
During his acceptance speech, Salles expressed his gratitude: “I’m so honored to receive this, and to be in such an extraordinary group of filmmakers. This prize goes to a woman who, after enduring loss in an authoritarian regime, chose not to bend, but to resist. So, this prize goes to her. And it also goes to the two incredible women who brought her to life, Fernanda Torres and Fernanda Montenegro.”
Brazil has submitted films for the International Feature Film category each year since 1960, earning five previous nominations: Keeper of Promises (1962), O Quatrilho (1995), Four Days in September (1997), Central Station (1998), and now I’m Still Here. However, until this year, the country had never won in this prestigious category.