At the height of a military dictatorship in Brazil, forced disappearances were an unfortunately common occurrence. It was the government’s brutal way of weeding out perceived enemies, even though, more often than not, their accusations were baseless. I’m Still Here tells the true story of one such victim, Ruebens Paiva, but through the eyes of the wife he left behind. And so while it is crucially a political movie, I’m Still Here is also a heart wrenching tale of grief and resilience. It subverts expectations, too, by never being overly dramatic. Fernanda Torres commands her character, Eunice Paiva, with dignity and restraint. Though she barely voices it out, you can see the pain in her expressive eyes and her tensed muscles, in her strained voice and her determination to keep her five children afloat. Things happen matter-of-factly in the film, which adds to the sadness of the reality. Life doesn’t owe us explanations, and it can remain mysterious till the bitter end. Like Eunice, sometimes the best we can do is to hold on to what we know is true, and to never forget.

Fernanda Torres received multiple nominations for her performance, and rightly so. Her restraint (not to be confused with mere stoicism) charges the film with the emotional energy it needs.