RIO DE JANEIRO — The moment Spanish actress Penélope Cruz announced “I’m Still Here” as the winner of the international feature award at the Academy Awards, Brazil erupted into celebration. Millions of Brazilians celebrated both at home and amidst the vibrant Carnival festivities, which have filled the country’s streets since the weekend.
Even as the nationwide parties continued on Monday, many people paused to catch up with the news, turning to newspapers, social media, and television broadcasts to bask in the glory of Brazil’s first-ever Oscar win. The film delves into the lives of a family affected by Brazil’s military dictatorship that held power for over two decades.
“I promised I’d rewatch ‘I’m Still Here’ if it won,” said Fernanda Rocha, a pharmacist from Brasilia, excitedly planning her night after returning from a Carnival street party clad in her Wonder Woman costume. “Living in a city where the military nearly backed a coup attempt by former President Jair Bolsonaro just two years ago, this movie’s win is symbolic against that history.”
In a flamboyant move to commemorate this historic moment, Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes announced the city’s plans to purchase the house where the film was shot, located in Urca — a wealthy neighborhood. Valued at 20 million Brazilian reais ($3.35 million), the site is to be transformed into a cinema museum as a tribute to Brazil’s landmark Oscar win.
“We will make it a public venue so people can visit the birthplace of Brazil’s first Oscar winner within nearly a century of the awards,” Paes shared on social media.
Major Brazilian newspapers, including Rio’s O Globo and O Estado de S. Paulo, broadcasted the news with headlines such as “At last, Brazil has an Oscar win.” This achievement follows the country’s prior nominations: “Keeper of Promises” (1963), “O Quatrilho” (1996), “Four Days in September” (1998), and “Central Station” (1999).
Television and social media around Brazil overflowed with footage from early Monday morning, showing ecstatic celebrations across the nation, particularly in Rio’s Sambadrome, the traditional venue for the lavish Carnival parades. In an unexpected tribute, a Mexican TV broadcast team was seen dancing joyfully to honor the film’s success.
The movie’s lead, Fernanda Torres, was in contention for the best actress award, but fell short, losing to Anora’s Mikey Madison. Despite this and missing out on the coveted best picture award for the first time by a Brazilian film, these losses hardly dulled the national jubilation for the international film accolade.
“This is just our beginning; soon, we aim to have two awards like our friends and rivals in Argentina,” stated Paulo Almeida, a 30-year-old theater actor, expressing optimism for the impact of this win on Brazil’s film sector.
While Argentina boasts two international Oscar wins with “The Official Story” (1986) and “The Secret in Their Eyes” (2010), Brazil’s cinematic community anticipates a boost from this achievement.
Reports from Brazilian media suggested that Fernanda Torres might join the “Champions Parade” of Rio’s Carnival on Saturday with the best samba schools, though she has not confirmed this yet.
“Fernanda Torres is synonymous with the movie. We should celebrate her efforts prolifically,” stated Vania Martins, a retired teacher. “Brazilian cinema was long overdue for this accolade; we’ve seen films better than ‘I’m Still Here’ fail to receive mere nominations. This victory highlights the rich artistic landscape here in Brazil.”
