Brazil celebrates its first Oscar in the category of Best International Film with "Ainda Estou Aqui," directed by Walter Salles and starring Fernanda Torres and Fernanda Montenegro. The film managed to overcome the favorite, the French "Emilia Pérez."
Upon receiving the award, Salles dedicated the accolade to Eunice Pavia, the woman who inspired the story of the film: "After the loss she suffered during a terrible regime, she decided not to bend and to resist," expressed the filmmaker.
Fernanda Torres's performance was recognized with the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Dramatic Film and also earned her a nomination for the Academy Awards. The Brazilian film surpassed other nominees like "Emilia Pérez" (France), "Flow" (Latvia), "The Seed of Sacred Feed" (Germany), and "The Girl with the Needle" (Denmark).
Salles's film had already received the Goya Award for Best Ibero-American Film and was nominated for BAFTA awards. Furthermore, the work of the lead actresses was highlighted: "This award is also for the two extraordinary women who gave life to it: Fernanda Torres and Fernanda Montenegro."
"Ainda Estou Aqui" tells the story of a mother who must reinvent herself after losing her family due to an act of arbitrary violence during the military dictatorship in Brazil in 1971. With this award, Brazil marks a milestone in its film industry and leaves a mark in the history of world cinema.
