Fernanda Torres celebrates Oscar hopes for ‘I’m Still Here’ in London
Fernanda Torres stated that the success of her latest film, 'I'm Still Here', has already exceeded her expectations.
Fernanda Torres stated that the success of her latest film, 'I'm Still Here', has already exceeded her expectations.
The Brazilian actress took the spotlight at the 68th London Film Festival on Sunday night (13.10.24), joined by co-star Selton Mello and director Walter Salles, as they presented Brazil’s official entry for the 2025 Academy Awards.
Speaking to journalist Patricia Dantas from Culturize-se, the 59-year-old star celebrated the film’s growing success on the global stage: "I think it feels like we’ve reached the top of the hill. It’s a tough industry, and it’s already a miracle that we’re receiving the kinds of reviews we are, because it is a small film on a global scale. It’s a film spoken in Portuguese. So, it’s amazing that it’s being selected for so many festivals. We’re in all the world’s most important festivals. We won an award in Canada today, and a screenplay award in Venice, and we’ve received standing ovations. The reviews... I already find what’s happening incredible."
With talk swirling about a potential Best Actress Oscar nomination, Fernanda remained humble, acknowledging the stiff competition: “We have to be realistic; it’s a very strong year for actresses. Just being on the shortlist is already a miracle."
If she secures a nomination, Fernanda would follow in the footsteps of her legendary mother, Fernanda Montenegro, who was nominated for the same award in 1999 for 'Central Station'. That year, the Oscar ultimately went to Gwyneth Paltrow for 'Shakespeare in Love'.
'I'm Still Here' is based on the novel by Marcelo Rubens Paiva and recently won the Best Screenplay award at the Venice Film Festival. Set in 1970s Rio de Janeiro during Brazil’s military dictatorship, the film tells the story of the Paiva family, whose world is shattered when patriarch Rubens, a former federal deputy, is illegally arrested.
Torres described the transformation of her character, Eunice Paiva, as a journey of empowerment: “I find it so interesting that, at first, she’s an upper-class housewife. She serves coffee, puts the kids to bed, and plays an extremely important, but secondary, role in the family. When Rubens is tortured and killed, this woman takes the lead. So, I think it’s a deeply feminist film. I love how she gradually realises that the life she knew no longer exists, and how she reinvents herself, takes charge of the family, and learns to manage things like finances."
The actress praised Eunice’s strength and resilience: “She’s an extraordinary woman, never showing public self-pity or seeking the spotlight, which is rare today. She’s a woman of great magnitude. I watched her interviews and thought, ‘My God, how am I going to capture that? That subtlety, that honesty?’ I’m happy with this film. I think we honoured Eunice.”
