The late sixties/early seventies were a dark time for Brazil. The 28th president of that South American country from 1969 to 1974 was Emílio Garrastazú Médici and his dictatorial rule was problematic, to say the least. His authoritarian rule included a broad use of violence, torture and even murder to suppress dissension during a time referred to as the Year Of Lead.
Plunged Into this maelstrom, we are introduced to the Paiva family who lead an idyllic life style living in a large house by the seaside in Rio de Janeiro. The patriarch of the family Rubens (Selton Mello) is a former congressman who now earns a good living as an architect. One night a group of men come to the house and take him into custody and whisk him away to parts unknown.
The structure of the film puts you in the same situation as the family and you are given no information as to his location or fate. His wife Eunice (Fernanda Torres) and daughter Eliana (Luiza Kosovski) are soon taken into custody, where Eunice is held and tortured for almost two weeks. Eliana was released after 24 hours. The day-to-day normality of their life is strongly contrasted by the feeling of impending doom for their father.
The matter-of-fact tone of the characters and the way the story unravels is excruciating and leaves its mark. Even if you know little about the history of Brazil during that time you can still feel the peril and a tension that never resolves. The acting performances are also outstanding and dramatically increase the believability. It took over 25 years for the family to learn of Rubens’s ultimate fate. I’m Still Here will rip your heart out yet still reaffirm the strength of the human spirit.
Rob Hudson
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