A South American film received a nomination for Best Picture for the first time in the 97-year history of the Oscars. “I’m Still Here” made history by representing Brazil at the ceremony.
The Academy, well-known for focusing on American movies, broke tradition by nominating a South American film for both International Feature Film and Best Picture. This decision created new opportunities for international cinema, allowing movies from outside Europe to share their culture and message with the world.
The Brazilian movie “I’m Still Here,” directed by Walter Salles and starring Golden Globe winner Fernanda Torres and Selton Melo, told a heartbreaking and honest story of a family from Rio de Janeiro. The Paiva family’s life fell apart during the dictatorship that took over Brazil in the 1970s. Fans from Latin America praised the film for its realistic portrayal of their culture and the dark times many Latinos faced during that period.
Although the movie was not very popular initially, its authentic and sincere portrayal of the family’s story, woven with themes of hope, love, and family, resonated with audiences. With this nomination, the Academy seemed to be opening its eyes to Latin and South American stories and those from other regions.
Melanie Bucio, freshman film major, shared her thoughts on the future of the cinematic industry becoming more inclusive of international films.
“I believe that the Academy will hopefully become more inclusive with the films that can be nominated in the future,” Bucio said. “I feel like there were other movies that should have been nominated in the Best Picture category this year.”
In a surprise to many, Fernanda Torres won the award for Best Actress in Drama for her extraordinary performance in “I’m Still Here,” surpassing high-profile actresses such as Angelina Jolie, Tilda Swinton, Nicole Kidman, and Kate Winslet.
Brianna Soto, sophomore film major, shared her opinion on whether social media impacted the film’s nomination.
“Platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok amplified the reach of films, creating a buzz and drawing attention to movies that might otherwise be overlooked. This increased visibility could have influenced the Academy’s voting members, making them more aware of the global cinematic landscape,” Soto said. “While it’s hard to say definitely, it’s possible that these films might not have received the same level of recognition without their online popularity.”
The positive response from the international market to the Brazilian movie showed that audiences were open to and eager for stories they were not familiar with and ready to learn from them.
Professor Tyler Welch, adjunct professor of film, shared his thoughts and hopes for the future of cinema.
“I am very hopeful that more international films will get nominated in the future. I want to see a very diverse set of international movies nominated. This year, two international films were nominated for Best Picture, but in the International Film category, only one is not from Europe,” Welch said. “This is very frustrating because there were a lot of good films from Africa, Asia, and various places. I hope that in the future, more films outside Europe get their nomination.”
As awards season continued, film enthusiasts watched closely to see how international films, including “I’m Still Here,” performed at the annual award show. Regardless of the results, the Academy opened a new door for foreign films, offering a unique opportunity to explore the world’s diversity and unite it through the art of cinema.
