Brazil’s Fernanda Torres had warned her compatriots not to get caught up in “World Cup fever” over the Oscars, but the crowd erupted in joy when Brazil won its first-ever Oscar for best international feature film. The drama, directed by Walter Salles, tells the true story of Eunice Paiva and her husband Rubens, who was forcibly disappeared during Brazil’s dictatorship era.
The win was seen as a significant moment for the country, with many arguing that it has given them something more important than Oscars – driving a shift in how Brazilians confront their dark past. Families of regime victims say the film has sparked renewed awareness about searching for bodies, uncovering the truth, and holding those responsible accountable.
Federal prosecutor Eugênia Augusta Gonzaga attributes this new interest to both the film and the attempted coup on 8 January 2023. The film’s success also led to a recent move by the Brazilian supreme court to reopen the debate over an amnesty law that has allowed military personnel to go unpunished for crimes committed during the dictatorship.
The win is seen as a major step towards justice, with many victims’ families hoping to see torturers and other perpetrators held accountable. “Justice needs to recognise the responsibility of all of them,” said Diva Santana, 80, whose sister was disappeared by the army in 1973.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/03/oscars-im-still-here-brazil-dictatorship