What is the story of I'm Still Here about?

I'm Still Here is a Portuguese political drama film directed by Walter Salles. The film was released on September 1, 2024. The film is based on the book I’m Still Here by Marcelo Rubens Paiva and the screenplay is written by Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorega. The film has garnered critical acclaim for its poignant storytelling and powerful performances. It stars Fernanda Torres, Selton Mello and Fernanda Montenegro. Fernanda Torres's acting as Eunice was highly praised, and she also got nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress. The film received many nominations including 3 Academy Award nominations, a BAFTA nomination, and 2 Golden Globe nominations.

The film is set in Brazil during the early 1970s. It follows the story of the Paiva family, mainly focusing on Eunice Paiva, played by Fernanda Torres. The film shows the family's struggles after the military raided a former congressman Rubens Paiva’s house who spoke out against the government. The sudden arrest and disappearance of Rubens Paiva by the military made Eunice face a strict political system. She tried to find out about her husband which resulted in her arrest and torture. She faces all the troubles while trying to keep her family together. The film tells an important story about a difficult time in Brazil’s history.

Is I'm Still Here (2024) based on a true story?

Yes, I'm Still Here is based on true events. The film is inspired by the real-life story of Eunice Paiva and her family. In 1971, when Brazil was under military dictatorship, Rubens Paiva was arrested and disappeared for raising his voice against the government. Despite going through personal loss and being oppressed by the system, Eunice became a human rights activist. She worked nonstop to get justice for her husband and others who were harmed by the government. The director of the film, Walter Salles, was close to Paiva's kids when he lived in Brazil, he shared details about it in an interview with Big Issue.

He said, “When I was 13 years old, I came back to Brazil after five years of living abroad and I couldn’t recognize my own country. There was censorship everywhere, and there were armed military police on almost every corner. I felt very much lost until I met the five kids of this unique family, the Paivas. That family carried a dream of another kind of society. And then that dream of that family was severed by a tragedy that I never forgot. I mean, no one who was in that house ever forgot. Rubens Paiva is the first father of friends of mine who disappeared during the military dictatorship."

The screenplay of the film is written by Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorega. They adapted it from the 2015 memoir Ainda Estou Aqui by Marcelo Rubens Paiva. Marcelo is the son of Eunice Paiva and Rubens Paiva. This book shares the family's personal experiences during a difficult time and it helped makers in keeping the film as close to reality as possible. The filmmakers want to respect the Paiva family's history and show the human rights abuses that happened in Brazil during that time.

Where to watch I'm Still Here?

I'm Still Here (2024) was first released at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, on September 1, 2024. The film won the Best Screenplay award at the film festival. After that, the film was released at various film festivals in Toronto, New York, etc. To be able to get nominated for the Oscars, the film was released in Salvador, Brazil for a limited time. Later it was released on November 7, 2024, throughout the nation. After receiving nominations from the Academy Awards, the film got more release dates for other states including 15 January 2025 in France, 17 January 2025 in the United States, etc.

The film is also available for pre-order on Amazon Prime Video, with no official digital release date. The film is also available on Apple TV for pre-order, but this also has no official release date. According to the deal between Sony Pictures and Netflix, fans can expect its release on the platform. It is not yet confirmed as there is no official statement from Sony or Netflix around mid-2025, following Sony Pictures' usual release schedule.

Also read: Cast of I' m still here