As the highly anticipated Oscar nominations were announced on Thursday, Brazilians took to social media to cheer and celebrate every mention of "I'm Still Here" - totaling three nods.
Directed by Brazilian Walter Salles and co-produced with France, the film secured nominations for best picture, best international feature, and best actress, Fernanda Torres.
This dual nomination in the top movie categories is unprecedented for Brazil, increasing the chances of a win, as indicated by cinema experts. It marks the first time a Brazilian film solely in Portuguese has been nominated for best picture, the most prestigious Oscar category.
This is a significant milestone. 'I'm Still Here' is competing globally, transcending language barriers, stated Carlos Augusto Calil, a filmmaker and president of the council at Cinemateca Brasileira, the institution dedicated to preserving Brazil's audiovisual heritage.
In 1986, the Brazil-USA production "Kiss of the Spider Woman" also received best picture, best adapted screenplay, best director for Hector Babenco, and the best actor award for William Hurt.
But it was in English, pointed out filmmaker and Museum of Image and Sound director Andre Sturm. Having a Portuguese-spoken film in the Oscars' top category is historic.
Best actress nominee Torres expressed her pride on Instagram, noting how a Brazilian narrative "makes sense in the world".
"I'm Still Here" narrates Eunice Paiva's quest as a mother of five to unravel the truth behind her husband's disappearance during Brazil's military dictatorship and rebuild her life.
Torres remarked, Being nominated for both a foreign language film and the best film of the year is beyond imagination.
Some recent films, such as Parasite" in 2020 and "The Zone of Interest in 2024, achieved nominations for both best picture and best international feature film at the Oscars, with wins in at least one category.
Nonetheless, the victory for I'm Still Here is not guaranteed, especially considering the competition from the France-Mexico co-production Emilia Perez, which also contends for the best picture and best international feature Oscars, among its total 14 nominations.