Brazil’s ‘I’m Still Here’ Wins Historic Oscar for Best International Feature

The Walter Salles-directed film is the first Brazilian production to win an Oscar, highlighting a nation’s reckoning with its authoritarian past.

‘I’m Still Here,’ directed by Walter Salles, won Best International Feature at the 2025 Academy Awards, becoming the first Brazilian film to achieve this milestone.
The film tells the true story of Eunice Paiva, a mother and activist who sought justice for her husband’s disappearance during Brazil’s military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985.
Fernanda Torres, who portrays Eunice Paiva, was also nominated for Best Actress, making her the second Brazilian actress to be nominated in this category, following her mother Fernanda Montenegro in 1999.
The movie has reignited discussions in Brazil about accountability for crimes committed during the dictatorship, including debates over the country’s 1979 amnesty law.
‘I’m Still Here’ surpassed the heavily favored French contender ‘Emilia Pérez,’ which faced backlash over controversies surrounding its lead actress, to win the award.