The Marks Left by the Brazilian Dictatorship

By: Allexia Bortoletti

This is the theme addressed in the film I'm Still Here by Walter Salles, which premiered on November 7, 2024. The film is inspired by the true story of Rubens Paiva, a former Labor Party deputy and civil engineer, portrayed by Selton Mello and told from the perspective of Eunice (played by Fernanda Torres).

A large part of the story takes place in Leblon, Rio de Janeiro, in the 1970s, where Rubens and Eunice lived a quiet and ordinary life with their five children: Babiu, Nalu, Eliana, Vero, and their only son, Marcelo. They enjoyed the beaches, their neighbors, and their friends.

One day, six men invaded their house to take Rubens Paiva into interrogation. They barged in and took him without explaining who they were or where they were taking him, leaving more men to guard the house and intimidate the family.

After a few days, Rubens still had not returned, and the family remained without news. One of the men in the house said that Dona Eunice and her daughter Vero would also have to answer some questions. However, since Vera was on an exchange programme, Eliana went in her place.

During the journey, they stopped the car and told them that, as a protocol, they would have to put bags over their heads since the location they were going to should not be revealed. Upon arrival, Eunice was in a room separate from her daughter, who was only 15 at the time. They were asked about the family's connection to the movement against the dictatorship, and when Eunice couldn't answer, she was taken to a cell where she spent 12 days enduring a cycle of repeated interrogations while hearing screams and cries.

She ended up being released and, upon returning home, she realized she had to be strong for her children. She also searched for the truth, putting pressure on the military, who continuously denied knowing Rubens Paiva's whereabouts.

The film conveys the message that the dictatorship sentenced an entire generation to irreversible traumas, regardless of their involvement in the anti-dictatorship movement. The film leads us to reflect on how profound the marks left by the Brazilian dictatorship are. It ultimately helps us internalize the importance of all generations to experience and draw their own conclusions about the consequences of the dictatorship.