I’m Still Here is a devastating film that delves into the experience of people living under military dictatorship in Brazil the 1960’s and 70’s while also resonating in the here and now.
The film focuses on the family of Rubens Paiva, a former
Labour party congressman who fled into exile after being removed from congress
following the 1964 military coup. The film begins after his return to Brazil
and much of the early part of the film depicts his happy middle class family
life. The family live by the beach in Rio de Janeiro and spend happy days there
with friends. They enjoy sports and games, listen to popular music, go to the
cinema, have parties.
But while the family seem happy, in the background, Rubens is
in regular contact with the underground left-wing resistance. Rubens and his
wife Eunice worry about the future and the safety of their children and ponder
whether to go back into exile. Their oldest daughter who is becoming
increasingly politically aware is sent away to London to keep her safe. And
while the film presents the Paiva’s as a happy, comfortable family, the threat
of the military regime is a constant presence with military helicopters flying
overhead, trucks on the streets and checkpoints on the roads.
The film turns with Rubens’ arrest by the military police
in January 1971. For days afterwards, military police remain in the Paiva’s
home while offering no information on Rubens’ whereabouts. Then Eunice and
their 15-year-old daughter Eliana are also arrested and brought to military
prison for questioning. While Eliana is released after a day, Eunice spends
days in the prison as her interrogators demand information on supposed
left-wing terrorists. In the background we hear the screams of other prisoners
being tortured and see their blood on the floors. To the viewers and Eunice’s
horror, we can only speculate if Rubens or Eliana are among those screaming or
bleeding.
Eunice is eventually released but with still no information
on the whereabouts of her husband. As Eunice searches for answers, she hides
her fears to protect her children and continues to project a façade.
The film becomes a harrowing portrayal of how the
uncertainty of not knowing whether Rubens is alive or dead becomes a
psychological torture worse than the grief of loss. Fernanda Torres who plays
Eunice, gives an astonishing performance in conveying this struggle. The film
title references Eunice’s persistence in her struggle for answers and for
justice. For so many thousands of families in Brazil and across much of South
America during this time, this uncertainty continued for decades with no
answers. Assuming that their loved ones had been killed but without the closure
of knowing for sure or being able to bury them. This taps into experiences felt
in so many countries around the world where violent repressive regimes have
been or are in power.
And while the film addresses a particularly dark period in
Brazilian history, it also speaks to issues today. Much of director Walter
Salles earlier work has addressed political themes including his 2004 biopic of
a young Ché Guevara, The Motorcycle Diaries. But with his first narrative film
in 12 years, Salles clearly wants to draw connections between the historical events
of the film and recent and current events in Brazil and around the world. It is
not so long ago that Jair Bolsonaro was president of Brazil, a far-right
president who openly harked back to the days of military rule. While Bolsonaro
was eventually defeated, him and his politics still have support in Brazil. The
far-right in Brazil have relentlessly attacked the film while defending the
dictatorship. The film however, has been a massive hit in Brazil and the
renewed attention the film has brought has pushed the Brazilian authorities to
finally legally recognise the violent, unlawful death of Rubens Paiva over 50
years after he was killed, helping to demonstrate the influence that art can
have.
Ultimately the film is also a reminder of the challenges
for the left when coming up against the machinery of the capitalist state and the
measures the state can resort to when it feels threatened. The left cannot rely
on just a few good people in parliament, it needs the support and strength of
mass movements of people in order to challenge the state and bring about real
change.
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