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Rating: Certain films have the merit not only of recalling past episodes, but also of serving as a warning for the present and the future. This is precisely the case with the latest work by Walter Salles (author of important titles such as "Central do Brasil", "The Motorcycle Diaries"), who with "I'm Still Here" takes us back to the times when Brazil was under a military dictatorship, lasting from 1964 to 1985.
Specifically, the film is based on the biographical book "I'm Still Here" by Marcelo Rubens Paiva, son of Rubens Paiva. He was not only an engineer but also held the position of deputy of the Brazilian Labour Party, before some high-ranking officers of the carioca army seized power in 1964 to crush any progressive ambitions in local politics. The coup leaders in question adopted subtle repressive methods: during that period in Brazil, everyday life could deceive a foreign observer, as a certain prosperity affected both the middle class and the upper bourgeoisie, and there were artistic expressions related to music and beyond (how could the Rio carnival be prohibited, just to say?). But behind the reassuring and dizzying appearance, the less affluent (the favelas were not so invisible), as well as dissidents and trade unionists, were not exactly living well. For these categories of people, the regime acted swiftly and it took little to be stopped and disappear into the depths of the repressive machine (the desaparecidos were not a later invention of the dictatorships in Chile and Argentina).
While this is the general historical context of the time, the film perfectly and faithfully illustrates the fairly serene life of the former deputy Rubens Paiva's family, with 4 daughters and a son, as well as a brilliant wife. They try not to pay much attention to the surrounding life in Brazil between the end of 1970 and the beginning of 1971. But there is always the concern that the eldest daughter might associate with university peers not very satisfied with the existing regime. And while there is no shortage of various political turmoils in Brazil at the time, it is not exactly certain that Rubens Paiva is not in contact with acquaintances of opposing orientation to the regime, and although this does not mean that the former deputy is comparable to a terrorist, it is enough to make him highly suspect to the authorities. And one unfortunate day, three plainclothes agents will knock on the door of the house inviting him to accompany them for a phantom deposition at the police station.
This event, carried out in a stealthy and suspicious manner considering that one of the three introduces himself as a "graduate in parapsychology", disrupts the daily routine of the Paiva family. Not only will the wife Eunice and one of the daughters have to go to the police station for an interrogation lasting several days, with a forced stay in the cells adjoining the police headquarters, but once released they will have to realize that there is no longer any trace of the head of the family Rubens Paiva. Obviously disappeared and, worse yet, the police can neither say nor want to say anything about it.
In the face of such a dramatic event, the reaction of the wife Eunice is marked by great resilience. She keeps a steady course in a lively family, decides to leave Rio de Janeiro and move to Sao Paulo, where she will complete her law studies both to discover the bitter truth about her husband's tragic fate and to fight for the cause of the civil rights of the Amazonian populations. It will only be in 1995, years after the end of the so-called "gorillas" dictatorship, that the Brazilian government will certify the death of Rubens Paiva two days after he was taken from his home. A bitter conclusion to a tragic affair.
One of the strengths of the work is undoubtedly the masterful performance of Fernanda Torres, an Oscar nominee for Best Actress, who highlights a female figure who does not lose heart at a significant turning point in life and is not intimidated by the henchmen of an inhumane and violent power. This confirms that with courage, it is possible to confront and contain evil.
For all of us, spectators of such an intense film, this serves as testimony not only of the unfortunate events that occurred but, as I wrote at the beginning of the review, as a warning for current and future times. Democratic freedoms can always be challenged, even in subtle ways. And incidentally, when Jair Bolsonaro was recently in power in Brazil, he claimed that the years of the military junta were not so bad. And Bolsonaro is also friends with a certain Donald Trump, in case you catch my drift...
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