I'm Still Here

Fernanda Torres once said “I know French culture, I know American culture, I know Russian culture, German culture, Italian culture… But they don’t know Brazilian culture. [...] And Brazil feels pity for the world not knowing what we know.” Which is why I, a Portuguese speaker, am writing this review for a Brazilian film in English. Few will read this, but if I can convince even a single foreigner that this movie is worth watching, I’ll be glad already. The first time I watched I’m Still Here in November 2024, I was utterly stunned. Me and my family left the theater knowing we had just watched one for the cinema history books. We just didn’t know yet the proportion it would take in the coming months. Ever since then I’ve non-stop been liking, retweeting, bookmarking, sharing and engaging with posts which praised the film, especially those highlighting Fernanda’s performance. I then started watching other films with award buzz this season, always keeping this certainty in my mind: I’m Still Here and Torres’ performance are the best of the year. Then I started wondering how much patriotism was going into this certainty – after all, I had watched the movie months earlier, how could I still be so sure of that? Upon rewatch, my doubts have gone away. I’m Still Here is Brazil at its best displaying Brazil at its worst. With a strong beating heart of its own, the movie takes its spectators into the life of this perfect family, only to fracture it in front of you and have you beg for the missing piece to be found, the wound to be healed. Well, wounds heal, but scars don’t go away. Just like I’m Still Here in the hearts of those touched by it. It lingers thanks to the care Walter Salles put into this tragically beautiful story, the power of Fernanda’s magnificent performance (most certainly the best of 2024, truly an all-timer) and the perfection of its technical aspects. Production design, score, makeup, acting (by everyone, not just Torres, although she stands out head and shoulders), directing, screenplay… The list goes on, it’s all impeccable. And there lies Brazil’s need for pity. For ourselves and for the rest of the world. We know what they don’t know. We know this film’s true quality and power, which, although getting recognition from foreign critics, have not been duly praised by them. If they had, I’m Still Here would have shown up at double-digit Oscar categories, not just three. Still, we celebrate this major milestone, hoping the world gets to know the other little thing we know that they don’t know. There’s more where that came from. In our cinema, our literature, our music, our way of life… Brazil is still here.