20/45
Fernanda Torres and Salles already worked together 29 years earlier on Terra Estrangeira (1995)
Line of Events
Brazil, 1971: a country in the ever-tightening grip of a military dictatorship. A mother is forced to reinvent herself when her family’s life is destroyed by an act of arbitrary violence. Fernanda Montenegro and Walter Salles’ first collaboration 26 years after the release of Glavni kolodvor (1998), where Montenegro was nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars.
Take Me Back to Piauí
Referenced in Close-Up: Why Do We Need the Venice Film Festival? (2024). Written by Juca Chaves, performed by Juca Chaves.
Based on the novel I’m Still Here by Marcelo Rubens Paiva
actually improves on the book by focusing on the Paiva family and how each member was terrified and heartbroken by the disappearance of their father (played with deep affection by Selton Mello). Built around a powerful performance by Fernanda Torres as matriarch Eunice, the film recounts the horrors of Brazil’s dictatorship without ever coming across as preachy or heavy-handed. By focusing on the human aspects and the sense of loss felt by people who never received answers about the disappearance of their loved ones, the script becomes more powerful as it goes along.
She’s compelling and moving without ever coming across as melodramatic, in a masterful work
All of the young actors’ performances are top-notch – a rare feat in Brazilian cinema – but it’s Fernanda Torres’ incredibly understated performance that really sticks with you. This is the best Brazilian film in years, a gift from director Walter Salles (“Central Station”). Watch for the brief but powerful cameo by Fernanda Montenegro (an Oscar nominee for “Central Station”) at the very end.