When director Walter Salles requested Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres to learn the script for “I’m Still Here,” she thought her outdated buddy simply needed a second opinion. In 1999, Torres’ mom, legendary star Fernanda Montenegro, earned an Oscar nomination for Salles’ acclaimed “Central Station,” and though Torres had beforehand appeared within the director’s 1995 movie, “Foreign Land,” , extra lately she has been recognized for being a gifted sitcom star. “I assumed I used to be misplaced to Walter,” says Torres, who was understandably elated when Salles forged her within the lead position of Eunice Paiva, a mom of 5 whose husband, Rubens, is kidnapped and killed on the top of the dictatorship Brazilian army. Eunice places apart her grief to boost her youngsters, and Torres provides a shifting efficiency that’s equal components pent-up emotion and unwavering dedication. “The proven fact that he considered me for deep drama was an enormous factor for me.”
“I’m Still Here” is a real story, based mostly on a ebook by Eunice and Rubens’ son, Marcelo. Was what occurred to your father generally recognized in Brazil?
We knew the titles; we knew he had been taken by the police and the physique by no means appeared. But nobody knew the small print. And Eunice was a fully secondary character. We did not know Eunice was such a strong lady. Imagine that your husband was tortured, killed, reduce into items, or thrown into the ocean. But on the identical time, she wasn’t allowed to sit down, cry, really feel sorry for herself. He had youngsters and determined to not inform them what occurred. How are you able to inform that to a toddler? He needed to save lots of their innocence, their religion in humanity.
Eunice was a sublime stay-at-home mother who turned a outstanding lawyer and human rights activist. What did your analysis inform you about her?
Her interviews had been so wonderful as a result of she was all the time well mannered, form. She all the time had a smile and, on the identical time, she was so clever, rational, persuasive, very female however highly effective. And this combination of femininity, of delicacy and power, was one thing I used to be in search of. I’m a lot much less elegant than her and I bear in mind Walter telling me: “Don’t overlook the smile.” It was a basic factor for her.
Normally, as an actress, you wish to present how a lot you may cry, scream or be humorous. But this character would not like to indicate off. He hides what he feels. And it was fantastic to find the ability of moderation.
—Fernanda Torres
Growing up, your mother and father ran a theater firm. Do you’ve got reminiscences of how they had been affected by the authoritarian regime?
I bear in mind the worry of censorship. Before the inauguration they needed to placed on a present for the dictatorship, which may merely ban the present. One of my father’s performs was a musical, a big manufacturing that was banned on opening day. I bear in mind my father’s face. Really tense. You might really feel worry. What I bear in mind in regards to the dictatorship was rising up in a closed nation. We did not talk with the remainder of the world. Then, as soon as the dictatorship ended, we went bankrupt, and within the Eighties the financial disaster started.
How did artists emerge from that interval?
The artwork was very alive. Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil returned from exile and proposed one other sort of wrestle, totally different from guerrilla warfare, take up arms and struggle very younger individuals. They found Jamaica and Bob Marley and got here again saying, “Dance, dance, dance.” This was the form of wrestle of my technology.
You stated a task like Eunice was a primary for you. How come?
Normally, as an actress, you wish to present how a lot you may cry, scream or be humorous. But this character would not like to indicate off. He hides what he feels. And it was fantastic to find the ability of moderation. I’ve by no means finished Greek tragedy. So to endure one thing that’s unimaginable to face, to maneuver ahead, to smile, to struggle, to not break, created such a strong fireplace inside me, one thing I had by no means skilled earlier than.
Fernanda Torres from the movie “I’m Still Here”, in Los Angeles.
(Annie Noelker/For The Times)
What was the response when the movie acquired a 10-minute standing ovation on the Venice Film Festival?
Brazil is such an remoted nation due to the language. We are 200 million Portuguese audio system, surrounded by ocean and Spanish-speaking international locations. In a way, we devour our personal tradition. We are solely pleased with ourselves. But once in a while somebody does one thing that’s understood internationally. This creates nice nationwide pleasure. Walter did it with “Central Station.” And once more, with this.
And when was it launched in Brazil?
During the pandemic, everybody purchased large TVs and stopped going to the films. But this film created an urgency to see what was taking place. People had been speeding to the cinema at like 2am on a Tuesday. They discovered that the movie was not solely compelling, however created a deep feeling. You have empathy for the household. You perceive that a part of the story. And it is about Brazil. Now individuals go to the cinema and on the finish individuals rise up, applaud and discuss in regards to the movie within the foyers. It turned a fever and it felt so good.
