What’s There to Laugh About? A REFLECTION ON MEMORY, ART, AND RESISTANCE IN “I’M STILL HERE”

razil just won its first Oscar, and the timing couldn't have been better. It was Carnaval, a perfect moment for nationwide celebration. On social media, there was an extensive campaign endorsing the film "I'm Still Here" and its lead actress, Fernanda Torres (who had already won a Golden Globe for Best Actress), showing the passion with which Brazilians root for their own. Perhaps this enthusiasm can be traced back to the days when Brazil dominated world football, or maybe it's a deeper desire to redefine how the world sees us, proving that we are far more than the enduring stereotype of a joyful yet struggling poor nation. Both joy and struggle are indeed part of Brazil's identity, but they are far more than mere traits."I’m Still Here", which is based on a true story, won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Directed by Walter Salles, it stars Fernanda Torres - an actress best known in Brazil for her comedic roles - as Eunice Paiva. Eunice was one of many Brazilians whose families were torn apart by the military dictatorship that ruled the country for two decades. In 1971, her husband, former congressman Rubens Paiva, was tortured and murdered by the regime. His body was never found. Brazilians are celebrating the success of a film that tells the story of both personal and national tragedy. In his acceptance speech at the awards ceremony on March 2nd, 2025, director Walter Salles dedicated the award to Eunice, "a woman who, after a loss suffered during an authoritarian regime, decided not to bend and resist." In one poignant scene, Eunice and her children pose for a magazine photo after her husband's disappearance. The photographer asks them to keep a stern expression, but she tells her children to smile. For Fernanda Torres, "the smile is a kind of resistance." They were not simply living happily (after all, how could they?), they were resisting.