Until some ads popped up on the website of our local art theatre, I had been only vaguely(if that)aware of “I’m Still Here.” But I thought it looked interesting from the ads and I pursued it a bit further and found it was not only an oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film but also Best Film of the Year. Having a foreign language film nominated for best picture is not unprecedented, but it is unusual, so I figured something worth learning about might be going on here. I was right.

In a year of apparent medicocrity and maybe one or two real losers, there are some movies to be proud of and happy about. “Sing Sing”–which should have been nominated for best picture in my opinion–but wasn’t, is one of them. “I’m Still Here,’ is another.

In a year where nominations have gone to films of much less ambition and/or talent and/or character, “Still Here” stands out, at least among the ones I’ve seen. Likely it stands out over the whole lot. It is a film of immense talent and wisdom, made which stunning care and attention to detail, particularly the details of love and attention within a family. It is beautifully done without a touch of hurriedness or carelessness, without any lacking of taking the time and making the effort to show you the faces, the reactions and the situations of the Paiva family. It is this that makes its portrayals of the family so heartbreaking and moving and make them grasp and hold us.

I did a very short review of Brazilian history on Wikipedia to get some back ground. I will not tire you with detials which I hardly know myself, but it is worth mentioning that this story, taking place mostly in the early-mid 1970’s but eventually covering nearly half a century, is a true one, based on the memoirs of the Paiva son.

One of the first things I thought of it was how American-like it was. That is, technically and socially, middle class(well Upper Middle Class in this case)Brazilians lived, worked and acted much like their North American counterparts. This is similar to my feelings about Pedro Aldomovar’s “Parallel Mothers” from 2021 or thereabouts. However, there are nuances which show differences too. Most of the small ones I’d say favor the Brazilians. But the biggest one, politics, shows not only their likeableness and dignity, but their misfortune in the rather important area of individual rights and human freedom.

Begainning with the early 1970’s Brazil seems to have been moving from a sort of democracy toward authoritarian if not out and out dictatorial rule. Ruben Paiva is an engineer by trade and a former congressman. He has chosen to return after a six year self-exile he took because he saw and disapproved of the way Brazilian politics seemed to be headed. Now he and his family live in a beautiful home in a desireable part of Rio. He does his daily work and he and his wife Eunice run their househokld and raise their 5 children, ranging from about 8 or 9 to nearly college age teenagers. Ruben and his family are happy with each other and outwardly thier lives are full, but he remains a supporter of expatriates who tend towards his political views.

Brazil seems to be in transition and a bit of confusion. Drifting toward dictatorship but publically still holding to at the very least the outward appearances of consitutional government, the country nonetheless is more and more affected by the military. And the civilian government is apparently unable to do much to stop this.

And as time passes the military influence grows and they began to arrest people on suspicion only and to imprison them and hold them at their will. Usually these people are released eventually, but sometimes not, and the feeling of a free society is disappearing.

Ruben disappears into the maw of the military in 1971 and this is a shock. The frantic Eunice demands to know where her husband is. As a result she and her oldest daughter, Eliana, are arrested. and held for days or weeks. They are questioned with a style that borders on violence, even subtle tortures. They are finally released . But now nothing is the same. Ruben is still missing, theirs is a house without a husband or a father, and their hearts are broken and their feelings now shattered. Eunice tries to keep on with the fight. She appeals to government friends and acquaintances and a friendly lawyer all of whom seem to be people of power. But none of them can help and the family and the country slip deeper and deeper into despair and tyranny,

Director Walter Salles has a way of making things move along without hurrying the pacing and without allowing the film to lapse into the tiresome, too long variety. The camera lingers over the house and the gardens, the children and the mother, the neighborhood and the neighbors. And a world is created here for us, a physically beautiful one of natural views and fine houses and contentment–but a short distance off is a world of anxiousness, and nerves as they all worry about Ruben. They have their little spats and outbursts, but mostly they love each other and get along, and their functioning as a loving family dealing with a long term crisis is one of the most moving things in the film, one of the things that keeps us hoping for Reuben, hoping for his return, and hoping the whiole family will be reunited,

And we experience this over several years as Eunice waits and struggles and tries, and finally does not give up, but begins to re-order her life She is a remarkable woman, one of intelligence, courage and love, but also of self respect. She decides eventually she will get on with it by herself and she will return to college. And as a matter of fact she did earn a law degree–at 48

We see in her 60’s, functioning as a successful, admirable professional, but one who still remembers what was and knows what won’t be. Then we see her once more, in her 80’s and surrounded by chldren and grandchildren. And there is a touching moment when this old lady, now losing the battle with age and decline, sees a picture of her husband, now gone more than 50 years–and she smiles.

And if you are inclined to cry at movies this might be one of the times. And hats off to director Walter Salles and his editors who made this long, elegant and remarkable film. Fernanda Torres as Eunice is nothing short of great. She is not beautiful but somehow immensely attractive anyway, a combination of looks, character and style and conveyed flawslessly by Ms Torres. And again a salute to Mr Salles, who I found referred to as one of Brazil’s greatest moive directors–I should think so. (He pulled off a real coup in another way–he got Ms Torres mother, Fernanada Montenegro, now 95 and renowned as the best Braziian actress of all time, to play Eunice in that last scene–no wonder she looked just right in the role).

With this movie Brazil might be said to be warning a world which in more and more places seems to be leaning toward authoritarianism, saying careful folks–see where this can lead. And Salles is also saying to the world, look, guys, this is what people, families, socieites can be at their best. And finally, Brazil is saying, great art is great for all of us. It makes us dream and maybe strive and maybe, succeed.