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The above quotation is by Ad茅lia Prado, one of Brazil鈥檚 most celebrated poets. It says in words what Walter Salles, one of Brazil鈥檚 most celebrated directors, says in pictures with his powerful new film, 鈥淚鈥檓 Still Here,鈥� a story of devotion, resilience and the strength of memory in a time of oppression.

The film has been nominated for three Oscars: best picture, best international feature and best actress (Fernanda Torres).

In its cascade of images, among them family photographs, 8-mm home movies and those captured by Adrian Teijido鈥檚 evocative cinematography, 鈥淚鈥檓 Still Here鈥� dramatically recreates the tumultuous life and times of the family of Rubens Paiva (Selton Mello), a former leftist Brazilian congressman. He was removed from his family鈥檚 Rio de Janeiro home in January 1971 under the pretence of answering 鈥渞outine鈥� questions by officials of the military dictatorship that had assumed control seven years earlier, forcing him into exile for much of that time.

Rubens never returned home. He became one of Brazil鈥檚 many 鈥渄isappeared鈥� people during the dictatorship that ruled until 1985; his ultimate fate wasn鈥檛 known for decades. More than 20,000 Brazilians were tortured and imprisoned by the regime during its brutal reign.

Rubens left behind his wife, Eunice, whom Torres portrays as an indomitable figure of spousal and matriarchal love, and four daughters and a son.

The screenplay by Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorega is based on the 2015 memoirs of the son, Marcelo Rubens Paiva. Director Salles, known for such character-rich films as 鈥淐entral Station鈥� and 鈥淭he Motorcycle Diaries,鈥� has a personal connection to the Paiva family, whose door was always open when he was a child growing up in their affluent neighbourhood near Rio鈥檚 scenic Leblon Beach.

The Paiva home was a meeting place for many people, including journalists and teachers whom the government viewed with suspicious eyes and ears, monitoring their comings and goings and eavesdropping on their conversations.

Early in the film, Rubens and Eunice are seen as being almost blissfully unafraid of the rising tensions in Rio, even as increasing numbers of soldiers appear on the streets. Family members while away carefree hours at the beach, where young Marcelo finds a stray pup his kind-hearted parents allow him to adopt.

The Paivas are planning to build a new home designed by Rubens, a civil engineer by trade. The work requires many meetings and telephone calls that attract unwanted attention.

News reports tell of Swiss and German ambassadors being abducted in the city and held for ransom. The family鈥檚 eldest daughter, Vera (Valentina Herszage), and her friends are hassled at a roadside military checkout when out for a night at the movies.

Fearful friends of the Paiva family announce they鈥檙e moving to London (鈥淲e鈥檙e sitting ducks,鈥� the husband says) and they invite college-aged Vera to go with them. Rubens calls his friends paranoid and confidently predicts 鈥渋t鈥檒l be fine鈥� before long, but allows Vera to join the exodus.

But it鈥檚 not fine. Rubens soon disappears; shortly after, Eunice and their 15-year-old daughter, Eliana (Luiza Kosovski), are imprisoned and interrogated for almost two weeks.

When they return home, it鈥檚 to a world that has officially disavowed all knowledge of what happened to Rubens. It鈥檚 as if he never existed.

When Eunice asks for help from a teacher who had also been imprisoned, telling her 鈥淢y husband鈥檚 in danger,鈥� the teacher refuses to get involved, saying, 鈥淲e鈥檙e all in danger.鈥�

Eunice refuses to yield. Moving the family to S茫o Paulo to escape Rio鈥檚 menacing mood, she shoulders the burden of single parenthood while also returning to college.

She transforms from carefree mom, who once offered souffl茅-making tips to her friends, into a crusading activist and lawyer with a special interest in Indigenous rights. Torres鈥檚 deeply internalized performance exerts a magnetic appeal, pulling us into her character鈥檚 unimaginable grief and loss as she fights to remain strong for her family.

All the while, Eunice never abandons her quest to find out what happened to Rubens. Her memory of him remained imperishable, with the truth of his disappearance finally coming out in the past decade. (Later scenes with an elderly Eunice are played by Torres鈥檚 mother, Fernanda Montenegro, the star of 鈥淐entral Station鈥� and the first Brazilian nominated for a best actress Oscar; Torres is the second.)

Neither does Eunice give into self-pity. In the film鈥檚 most powerful scene, she and her children pose for a photograph for a foreign newspaper story they hope will draw international attention to their plight. The journalist tells the family not to smile. He wants to illustrate their pain to increase public sympathy and sell more papers.

Eunice is having none of it. 鈥淲e鈥檒l smile,鈥� she tells her children.

The real Eunice explained her defiance to an interviewer. 鈥淲e are not a victim,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he victim is the country.鈥�