I’m Still Here
Year: 2024
Rating: PG-13
Length: 137 minutes / 2.28 hours
One of the nice things about more foreign films being nominated for the Best Picture Oscar is that I get to learn about the history of these countries. I know countries like Brazil haven’t had the most stellar history of politics, but movies like I’m Still Here (2024) provide a snapshot of what these unnerving times were like for their citizens. The unfortunate thing with these historical dramas is that I still feel disconnected from these events because they happened somewhere that I have little experience with. It’s educational, but that’s about it.
With the rise of political movements that use military might to keep the public in a constant state of fear, I’m Still Here is an important movie to remind us that resistance is necessary but also risky. Standing up for what’s right isn’t always easy when you could find yourself disappeared by the party in power. That your family would have to continue without you (resisting the regime or not) is an added layer of anxiety for them because any of them could be kidnapped next. Waiting for the truth is something that might never reach a conclusion, but the peace that comes with knowing what happened is a tremendous weight off when it arrives.
Perhaps I’m a bit calloused by the current political climate that I’ve been enduring for the last decade, but movies like I’m Still Here don’t help with what’s currently happening because the results could very well be the same. Perhaps I subconsciously distance myself emotionally from these events in 1970s Brazil because I’d rather not think about things getting that bad in the 2020s. And maybe if something were to happen to me today, I’d want to give my family a cut-off date so they don’t have to keep worrying about my likely demise.
A historical reminder of the risks of resistance, I give I’m Still Here 3.0 stars out of 5.
