Interview: Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres on bringing resilience to life in ‘I’m Still Here’
Acclaimed Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres’s role in ‘I’m Still Here’ is captivating audiences worldwide. Here she discusses portraying Eunice Paiva, Brazilian cinema and why this story feels more relevant than ever.
In 1986, Fernanda Torres became a Brazilian icon after winning the best actress award at Cannes for her role in Arnaldo Jabor’s Love Me Forever or Never. Here, she tells Monocle Radio about her latest film, I’m Still Here, set during Brazil’s military dictatorship. The film is already one of Brazil’s most successful-ever features and has been nominated for three Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Torres.
The film tells the story of Eunice Paiva, who became an activist after her husband disappeared during the country’s military dictatorship.
When did you first learn about Eunice Paiva?
It was through her son Marcelo Rubens Paiva’s 2015 book [I’m Still Here is based on his memoir of the same name]. I watched interviews too. She was persuasive but always gentle and intelligent.
You have just won a Golden Globe for your performance in the film. How important was the recognition?
It was made [during the Bolsonaro years] at a time when the arts were under attack in Brazil. I’m so happy that people of all religions and political beliefs are proud of our culture and going to cinemas to see it.
You’re well known for your comedy roles. Did you enjoy returning to drama?
I thought I was lost to drama! No, not really, I don’t separate genres that way. I’ve done theatre, musicals, and comedy, but of course, my recent TV roles made me widely known as a comedian. Then Walter gave me this incredible gift: a role in a deeply humanistic, profound drama.
What’s special is that a new generation of Brazilian teenagers is watching this film and learning about the dictatorship, often for the first time. They’re discovering history through a family that could be their own. That humanistic approach to storytelling is rare. It might take another 25 years for a film like this to happen again.
‘I’m Still Here’ is out now in Brazil and the US, and will soon be released across Europe. For the full interview with Fernanda Torres and Walter Salles, listen to Monocle Weekly above, or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
