Los Angeles, CA – In a landmark moment for Brazilian cinema, Walter Salles' "Still Here" has won the Academy Award for Best Picture at the 2025 Oscars. While Fernanda Torres's powerful performance in "Still Here" was highly acclaimed, the Oscar for Best Actress went to Mikey Madison for her role in "Anora."
During his acceptance speech, director Walter Salles paid a moving tribute to Eunice Paiva, the real-life protagonist of the film and a powerful symbol of resistance against Brazil's military dictatorship (1964-1985). "This honor goes to a woman who suffered such immense loss," Salles declared, "This award is for her, Eunice Paiva, and for the extraordinary women who brought her story to life, Fernanda Torres and Fernanda Montenegro."
"Still Here" tells the deeply personal story of the Paiva family, offering a universal warning about the dangers of fascism. The film, adapted from the book by Marcelo Rubens Paiva, Eunice and Rubens Paiva's youngest son, chronicles Eunice's transformation from a privileged housewife to a determined advocate for justice after her husband's disappearance and murder by the military regime in 1971.
The film's narrative is divided into two distinct halves. The first half portrays the idyllic life of the Paiva family, with a loving couple and their children enjoying their beachfront home in Rio de Janeiro. The second half delves into the family's turmoil following Rubens Paiva's disappearance, with Fernanda Torres's compelling performance capturing Eunice's unwavering determination to seek the truth.
Brazil's victory in the Best Picture category marks a historic milestone for the country's film industry. This win, coupled with the film's earlier triumph at the 2025 Golden Globe Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, has ignited a wave of national pride.
News of the Oscar win sparked joyous celebrations across Brazil, with scenes of jubilation erupting at the Rio de Janeiro Sambadrome during Carnival festivities. "The Oscar is ours!" exclaimed announcers, as crowds of nearly 70,000 people erupted in cheers and embraced one another.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took to social media to express his pride, writing, "Pride for our cinema, for our artists, and above all, pride for our democracy." The film's success is being hailed as a testament to the power of cinema to shed light on important historical events and promote social justice.
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