“I’m Still Here” is a film based on the best-selling memoir by Marcelo Rubens Paiva. It takes viewers through Brazil’s dictatorship in the 1970s. The film contrasts most Brazilians’ lack of knowledge of the regime to the few who were deeply affected by it.

“I’m Still Here” focuses on the Paiva family. They are a middle-class family of six living in Rio de Janeiro for their father’s government job. In 1964, there was a military coup that initiated the dictatorship. Rubens Paiva, the husband and father, worked for the Brazilian Congress before the coup.

As his family tried to live a normal civilian life, the military kept watch on him. It began with suspicious military personnel watching their house, and escalated to them entering the home.

The film blends cinematography with the beautiful Rio de Janeiro beaches and hard-to-watch torture scenes.

One day, the military enters the house and takes Rubens. He does not return. His wife and kids panic as the military personnel continue to stalk the house.

A few days later Eunice Paiva is taken in too. The audience can see the horrors of the regime.

The director, Walter Salles, phenomenally portrays the reality of the disappearances. Each scene creates intense emotions from joy to fear to relief.

Eunice gets taken into one of the military prisons. This is where the film redirects the focus from Rubens’ experience to that of Eunice. Audiences can see her scruffy hair and pale face after days of torture in the prison. Every day the military makes her confess if any of the pictures in a book of pictures are family friends. Eunice has internal conflict whether she should reveal her friends or keep quiet and face torture.

After a few days of imprisonment, Eunice recognizes a familiar voice. It is the voice of a little girl. Her worst nightmare has come true. Her daughter has been kidnapped.

Several days go by, and Eunice and her daughter are released. They won one battle but the fight was not over.

Eunice dedicates her time to finding her husband while being a single mother of five. She tries to be strong for her kids and reassure them that “everything will be ok.” Yet, she knows nothing is alright.

Eventually, her kids discover that Rubens is not on a long business trip. Years go by, and there is no word of Rubens. The Paivas move to São Paulo to be closer to family and to get away from their trauma in Rio de Janeiro.

These are tough scenes to watch, but they are historically accurate. They show one family’s truth, which represents 20,000 others who experienced it.

The dictatorship ended in 1984. Eunice became a lawyer because she wanted to defend innocent civilians from the government’s malice.

The film ended with a family gathering in São Paulo, where they took a photo, like the one they used to take with the whole family in 1970s Rio de Janeiro.

Rubens's death was confirmed by the new democratic Brazilian government in 1996, 25 years after his disappearance. No government official was held accountable for his torture and death.

“I’m Still Here” brilliantly brings viewers Eunice’s perspective. The film shows a complex character that uses bad to do good.

It is inspiring and sends a message that anybody can stand up for injustice.

Fernanda Torres, who plays Eunice Paiva, won the “Golden Globe for Best Actress- Motion Picture- Drama.” She is nominated for Best Actress in this year’s Oscars.

She won 25 years after her mother, Fernanda Montenegro, was nominated for “Golden Globe Best Actress- Motion Picture- Drama” for Central Station, also directed by Walter Salles.

“I’m Still Here” was nominated for “Best Picture, Best Actress and Best International Feature Film”.