I’m Still Here

The first Brazilian film ever nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, this biographical drama has also nabbed Oscar noms for Best International Film and Best Actress. It tells the story of the wife of an opposition politician who was disappeared by the brutal military junta that controlled Brazil with an iron fist from the mid ’60s through the mid ’80s. Her fight to stay strong for her children and to receive official notification of her husband’s fate inspired people across the country — but it wouldn’t be until 1996, well after the fall of the authoritarian junta, that she would receive formal notification of his death. The Portuguese-language film follows her struggles beautifully, telling a tale of living for family and of resilience in the face of the unimaginable tragedy of losing a family member but not actually knowing what happened to them. It currently has a 96% Tomatometer and 98% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes.

“I’m Still Here is one of the best films I’ve ever seen about the power of family.” -Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times
“Heartrending yet never maudlin, I’m Still Here is a humanist drama that, in shining a light on insidious injustice, becomes a balm to warn and warm its audiences in equal measure.” -Manuel Betancourt, AV Club
“It’s a beautiful performance, made even more impactful by its basis in reality. I’m Still Here is a timely, exquisite masterpiece.” -Anne T. Donahue, Globe and Mail
“Torres gives a forceful, powerful performance, one in which her pain and confusion over the situation eventually gives way to relief, as hard truths are at the very least truths after so many years of agonizing over the unknown.” -Adam Graham, Detroit News
“Through its vivid use of photographs (particularly the real-life ones shown at the end), it’s a reminder that through film, our stories live on.” – Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times
“Torres’s performance here is a marvel of expressive restraint, every glance merging horrified disbelief and meticulous self-control.” -Justin Chang, The New Yorker
“Salles’ film jumps decades for a touchingly rendered ending that is so profound you’ll be moved to tears.” -Randy Myers, San Jose Mercury News
“Torres’s deeply internalized performance exerts a magnetic appeal, pulling us into her character’s unimaginable grief and loss as she fights to remain strong for her family.” -Peter Howell, Toronto Star
“How often do we get to watch a movie and recognize the unmistakable geniality that adorns a mother’s love? Rarely do we witness a performance that’s so unembellished and yet so memorable and moving.” -Coleman Spilde, Salon.com
“I’m Still Here is as affecting and inspiring as any movie this year, domestic or foreign.” -Thelma Adams, AARP Movies for Grownups
“This is not just a movie about a strong woman, though it certainly is that. It’s also about what authoritarian regimes do to keep people in line, the totalitarian tactic of making people doubt what they know they’ve seen by insisting on unabashed lies.” -Alissa Wilkenson, New York Times

I’m Still Here opens at The Clyde on Friday, February 21, and plays Friday, Saturday, & Monday at 7:30, plus Sunday at 2:00.