Viewing: February 28,2025
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Director: Walter Salles
Cast: Fernanda Torres, Fernanda Montenegro, Selton Mello
Awards: Oscars - Best Picture (nom), Golden Globe - Best Actress (Torres)
Fernanda Torres stars in this critically-acclaimed and award-winning historical drama – the first film from Brazil ever to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture!
In the aftermath of the 1964 coup d’état that ushered in a military dictatorship to rule the nation of Brazil, former congressman Reubens Pavia returns to Rio de Janeiro in 1970 to resume his career. Unbeknownst to his wife Eunice (Torres), Pavia has been championing the cause of expatriates, an activity that has put him at odds with the current government. When an ambassador is kidnapped by left-wing rebels, Brazil falls into turmoil as the junta begins a crackdown. Pavia becomes the victim of a police raid on his idyllic home life when he is arrested, taken into custody, and effectively disappeared from the comfort of his family. In the months following this tragic event, Eunice’s outspoken criticisms of the government’s treatment of her husband causes her to also be arrested, detained, and tortured for several days.
Fast-forward 50 years to the 2010’s, and Brazil is once again a stable democracy. Eunice, now in her 80’s, is suffering from Alzheimer’s and struggling to recall the events that have comprised her life. When a news report about the National Truth Commission – a group created to investigate the human rights violations of the old military government – and Pavia’s case, vivid memories of the past come flooding back.
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