In Sao Paulo, Brazilian author Marcelo Rubens Paiva joined a festive Carnival celebration, joyfully maneuvering his wheelchair in harmony with the crowd. However, a brief moment of hostility marred the occasion when an unknown individual displayed a disrespectful gesture and hurled a beer can and backpack at him.
Paiva, celebrated as a Brazilian author for over forty years, has been thrust into the spotlight by the cinematic adaptation of his 2015 book “I’m Still Here,” now a hit success at the box office. The film, a rare achievement in Brazil, has earned three Oscar nominations in anticipation of this Sunday’s awards ceremony.
While the narrative, focusing on Brazil’s 1964-1985 military dictatorship, resonates with many for its truthfulness, it has also incited backlash from some viewers who perceive it as biased. Paiva expressed concern over the surge of animosity directed at him, predominantly through online channels.
“This narrative represents our history as we have lived it, to prevent its repetition,” Paiva, aged 65, explained from his Sao Paulo home. “I believe even those with conservative leanings may have reevaluated their views after watching.”
The film contends for best picture and best international feature, and actress Fernanda Torres, portraying Paiva’s mother Eunice, is vying for best actress. The storyline chronicles the enigmatic disappearance of Rubens Paiva, Marcelo’s father, and Eunice’s relentless pursuit of truth regarding his death.
Having tasted success previously, Paiva had not encountered such controversy until now. His 1982 work “Happy Old Year,” which recounts his life-changing accident, sold over 1.5 million copies. Paiva is also recognized as an acclaimed playwright and political activist. However, the reaction to “I’m Still Here” has been unprecedented in breadth, fueled largely by the social media discourse following its accolade at the Venice Film Festival.
Realizing he had an important story left untold, Paiva shared, “As the son of a vanished politician, I had a unique perspective on the dictatorship.” This is especially notable as many facts remained obscure due to a 1979 amnesty law, which shielded political crime perpetrators from prosecution.
In 2011, cracks in this silence began to show when former President Dilma Rousseff initiated a national truth commission to examine these abuses, seeding both the book and movie projects for Paiva.
Bolsonaro’s disdain for the Paiva family, however, came as no surprise. As a former army captain and prominent political figure (2019-2022), Bolsonaro has repeatedly disparaged the Paivas, even dishonoring a statue of Rubens in Congress. He has further claimed without evidence that Rubens was killed by fellow insurgents, myths spread and believed by many via social media.
In a recent comment, Bolsonaro admitted to not having seen the film. Nevertheless, his supporters criticize its portrayal, arguing Rubens was caught in a civil conflict where casualties existed on both sides. An official Truth Commission, however, attributes the deaths of at least 434 people, including 136 dissapearances, to the military regime.
Paiva’s intention was to release “I’m Still Here” while contending with his mother’s Alzheimer’s disease. Director Walter Salles acquired the film rights in 2017, opting to delay production during Bolsonaro’s tenure. Last week indictments against Bolsonaro alleged coup attempts to seize power, drawing comparisons to the Capitol insurrection in the United States.
“Globally, there’s fear of democracies slipping into authoritarian regimes,” Paiva remarked. “This film celebrates democracy and highlights the scarcity of empathy and human rights.”
In light of the film’s debut, Paiva rejoiced in the updated death certificate of his father, Rubens, which finally recognized his demise as a state-sanctioned violent act during a dictatorship aimed at silencing dissent. An impending Supreme Court decision could potentially allow for the prosecution of the last surviving torturer of Rubens.
“Literature has been my mission,” Paiva affirmed. “With the movie’s release, I feel that mission has been achieved, even if devoid of Oscar acclaim.”
