And the Golden Globe Goes to...
Gabriel Amaral, S11, uncovers the origins of the award-winning film “I’m Still Here”.
Gabriel Amaral
Senior 11
Artwork by Lavinia Salon
Art Director, 2025
Eunice Paiva was never really given freedom after her imprisonment in 1971, which was part of an investigation into her husband’s connections to political exiles. She may have been released 12 days after her arrest, but her eldest daughter, Maria Eliana, was also imprisoned for around 24 hours before her release. Both were ‘free’, but left to grapple with the disappearance of their husband and father, Rubens Paiva. For 43 years, they would live without knowing what happened to Rubens after his arrest alongside his wife and daughter. In 2014, they were given some ‘freedom’ through answers: Rubens had been kidnapped, tortured, and killed in January 1971 by the Brazilian military dictatorship.
The story of the family is now being told through the film ‘I’m Still Here’, based on the book by Eunice’s son, Marcelo Paiva. It provides a grim portrayal of life under a dictatorship but also shows glimmers of hope and resistance by those affected. For some, it brings with it painful memories of a time when intellectuals, teachers, and artists were persecuted and arrested, sometimes being tortured or even killed. Others prefer to look at the success of the film and how it united the country during the race towards this year’s Oscars.
Winner of “best international feature”, starring Fernanda Torres as Eunice Paiva, the ‘deeply poignant’ film has gained international fame for its ability to combine a touching theme with unparalleled vitality. Torres even won a Golden Globe for “Best Actress in a Drama”, with an Oscar nomination for “Best Actress”. The movie isn’t just a win for Torres or Walter Salles, who directed the film, it is a win for the entire country, one which has fought for recognition in cinema for years.
I’m Still Here is another example of the consequences of dictatorships and the repression of freedoms. It portrays the era vividly and shows the effects on the population as a whole, but also on families who have lost their loved ones and individuals who were exiled because of their beliefs. Many aspects of these dictatorships can be seen even today, through censorship, persecution and strict regulations.
We are in an age where we have so much freedom to do as we like, but we now begin to see the barriers and constrictions of that freedom. Like laws which prevent crimes, some restrictions are beneficial, however, we also see those whose only purpose is to limit our freedom. Some barriers restrict our freedom to express ourselves, our beliefs, our customs, or our traditions by restricting religious clothing or attacks on places of worship, for example. It seems like the world is closing in, tightening around us as some struggle to break free.
That does not mean we need to focus on these limitations. We are given freedom of speech, and we can express our freedom in many ways, such as through art, music, literature, and protest. We must be aware of policies, leaders or members of our community who attempt to limit our freedoms, but in a time when it might feel like freedom is decreasing, we must be sure to stand together and fight for it. Unlike Eunice Paiva and millions of those before and after her, our freedom is not limited.
When asked to pose for a photo with her five children, Eunice was told not to smile. After all, her husband had disappeared. Instead, Eunice told her children, ‘We will smile. Smile.’. It was a simple act of optimism during an unforgiving time. Perhaps the world could do with a little more Eunice.