Brazilian cinema made history on Sunday (March 2), at the 97th edition of the Oscars in Los Angeles. “I Am Still Here,” directed by Walter Salles, won in the Best International Film category. This is an unprecedented achievement for Brazilian cinema.
The Brazilian film surpassed “Emilia Pérez” (France), “The Seed of the Sacred Fruit” (Germany), “The Girl with the Needle” (Denmark), and “Flow” (Latvia).
Walter Salles dedicated the victory to Eunice Paiva, the wife of former congressman Rubens Paiva, who disappeared during the dictatorship. Her search for her husband’s whereabouts inspired the film’s script. In his acceptance speech, the Brazilian filmmaker also highlighted the work of Fernanda Torres and her mother, Fernanda Montenegro.
Also nominated for Best Film, “I Am Still Here” lost to “Anora,” the biggest winner of the night, with a total of five Oscars.
Fernanda Torres, nominated for Best Actress, did not take home the statuette, which went to Mikey Madison for “Anora.” Despite this, Fernanda Torres made history by repeating her mother’s achievement — Fernanda Montenegro was nominated in the same category in the 1999 edition.
With its nominations, Walter Salles’ film was already a winner at the cinema celebration, having made history by being nominated for the Oscar in three categories — something never before achieved by a Brazilian.
The winners in the 23 categories were:
• Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin, for The True Pain
• Best Animation: Flow
• Best Animated Short: In the Shadow of Cypress
• Best Costume Design: Wicked
• Best Original Screenplay: Anora
• Best Adapted Screenplay: Conclave
• Best Makeup and Hairstyling: The Substance
• Best Editing: Anora
• Best Supporting Actress: Zoe Saldaña, for Emilia Pérez
• Best Production Design: Wicked
• Best Original Song: “El Mal,” from Emilia Pérez
• Best Documentary Short: The Only Woman in the Orchestra
• Best Documentary: No Other Land
• Best Sound: Dune: Part 2
• Best Visual Effects: Dune: Part 2
• Best Live Action Short: I’m Not a Robot
• Best Cinematography: The Brutalist
• Best International Film: I Am Still Here
• Best Original Score: The Brutalist
• Best Actor: Adrien Brody, for The Brutalist
• Best Director: Sean Baker, for Anora
• Best Actress: Mikey Madison, for Anora
• Best Film: Anora