Brazilian film 'I'm Still Here' tops box office, forcing nation to reckon with dictatorship trauma

Demonstrators hold photos of people who were killed in Brazil's dictatorship, during the "Walk of Silence" march in memory of the victims, marking the anniversary of the country's 1964 coup, in Sao Paulo, on April 2, 2023. Image: AP file

Today 04:33 am JST

By GABRIELA SÁ PESSOA

SAO PAULO
Brazilian-made dramas rarely last long in local cinemas. But, nearly two months after its release, “I’m Still Here,” a film about a family torn apart by the military dictatorship that ruled Brazil for more than two decades, has drawn millions of moviegoers across the South American country.

The film's domestic box office success — with nearly 3 million tickets sold, it secured the fifth spot at the 2024 box office by mid-December — is rooted in its exploration of a long-neglected national trauma, but it is particularly timely, especially as Brazil confronts a recent near-miss with democratic rupture.

Set in the 1970s and based on true events, “I’m Still Here” tells the story of the Paivas, an upper-class family in Rio de Janeiro shattered by the dictatorship. Rubens Paiva, a former leftist congressman, was taken into custody by the military in 1971 and was never seen again. The narrative centers on his wife, Eunice Paiva, and her lifelong pursuit of justice. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe for best foreign language film and shortlisted for the Oscars in the same category.

“Comedies and other topics are more likely to become mega-successes, but this (the dictatorship) is a very taboo subject for us,” said Brazilian psychoanalyst and writer Vera Iaconelli, adding that she felt a “sense of urgency” after watching the movie last month, even though the dictatorship ended almost four decades ago.

As the movie was being shown across Brazil, the Federal Police unsealed a report detailing a 2022 plot by military officers to stage a coup to prevent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from taking office, and to keep far-right former army captain Jair Bolsonaro in power. Bolsonaro and his allies have denied any involvement in participating or inciting a coup.

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