One way you can tell that I’m Still Here, the Brazilian masterpiece that just won an Oscar for Best International Feature, is such a powerful and one-of-a-kind cinematic experience is that a stream of visitors keeps turning up at a certain white house in a quiet corner of Rio de Janeiro.
The visitors have come to see the family home depicted in the movie, which tells the story of a mother of five whose husband, a dissident politician, is taken away during Brazil’s military regime in the 1970s. “We came here to pay homage to the family,” one of those recent visitors, Daniela Gurgel, told Reuters as she roamed through the house. “Raising this story at this time is very important.”
Directed by Walter Salles, the movie spotlights the story of the military government that ruled Brazil from 1964 to 1985 — in addition to telling the true story of Eunice Paiva, whose husband Rubens was one of the many disappeared under a dictatorship that murdered and tortured tens of thousands. Crimes, by the way, for which no one has ever been held accountable.
Audiences who screen I’m Still Here frequently leave in complete silence, wrecked by the movie’s meditation on love, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit. And now, for the first time since its triumphant awards-season run, this deeply moving drama is available to own on VOD — giving audiences everywhere the chance to experience its raw, aching beauty from the comfort of home. However, be warned: I’m Still Here is a soul-stirring cautionary tale about the creeping danger of authoritarianism, one that will leave you shaken long after the credits have rolled.
“It is rare for a film to move me to the point of feeling deep melancholy and sadness,” reads one 10/10 review of the movie on IMDb. “I’m Still Here is one of the best films I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching. What stands out the most is that it is Brazilian, from my homeland, made from the history of my country, from one of the darkest chapters of our past … And all of this is told through the story of a simple family, living simple, happy days, until a tragedy overwhelmed everything and took away that simple happiness.”
For almost 20 years, Brazil endured a brutal military dictatorship that suppressed dissent through censorship, torture, and forced disappearances. The regime, which seized power in a US-backed coup, targeted political opponents, students, journalists, and activists, many of whom were imprisoned, tortured, or executed. It’s estimated that hundreds of people — including guerrilla fighters, intellectuals, and Indigenous leaders resisting land grabs — were killed or disappeared, though the true number may be higher.
Despite the return to democracy in 1985, the dictatorship’s legacy still looms large. Many perpetrators were never held accountable due to an amnesty law passed in 1979. Families of the disappeared continue to demand truth and justice, while the era’s authoritarian ideals persist in segments of Brazil’s political sphere.
I’m Still Here gives a voice to those silenced by history, turning the pain of Brazil’s disappeared into a haunting, deeply human story that refuses to be forgotten. It’s not just a film; it’s a reckoning, a cry for justice, and a reminder that even in the face of unimaginable loss, memory and love endure.
