Where was I'm Still Here filmed? All shooting locations explored

Directed by Walter Salles, the 2024 drama film I'm Still Here is based on Marcelo Rubens Paiva's memoir of the same name. It was shown for the first time at the Venice International Film Festival on September 1, 2024, and won an award for Best Screenplay.

When it came out in Brazil on November 7, 2024, the movie was a huge hit, making $27.3 million. Set in the period of Brazil's military dictatorship, the film is about a lady named Eunice Paiva who is looking for her missing husband.

In 1971, the military dictatorship kidnaps Eunice Paiva's husband, Rubens Paiva, who is a dissident politician. Eunice faces huge personal and political problems as she fights for justice.

The movie shows her emotional journey and how her husband's disappearance affected her life for a long time. The key scenes were filmed in both Rio de Janeiro and London.

Shooting locations of I'm Still Here explored

Urca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The home of the Paiva family, which is a key scene in I'm Still Here, was filmed in Urca, a beautiful Rio de Janeiro neighborhood. Urca is famous for its stunning views of the Guanabara Bay and the Sugarloaf Mountain, which made the scenes with the family in the movie feel especially real.

The peaceful, beautiful scenery in the area reminds us of the early, calm times in the Paiva family's life, before the political upheaval.

Many scenes were filmed in historic areas of Rio de Janeiro. These places helped bring the Brazilian military dictatorship to life and showed how unstable things were in society and politics at the time.

London, England, UK

Some scenes in I'm Still Here were shot in London and showed Veroca's time living abroad. The settings in Brazil were very different from those in London, giving the story an emotional isolation.

The London scenes depicted the turns Eunice's journey took and her feeling of despair for being sent away from her home country. London's famous landmarks provided a significant contrast.

The plot of I'm Still Here at a glance

I'm Still Here is the story of Eunice Paiva. Her life fell apart when her dissident politician husband, Rubens Paiva, went missing in 1971 during Brazil's military dictatorship. After living alone for years, Rubens comes back to Brazil at the beginning of the movie. Unfortunately enough, soon he was arrested when the military raided his home.

At first, Eunice tries to keep a calm exterior by telling her kids and friends that Rubens is safe, even though she is being forced to lie about where he is. As the regime's cruel actions get worse, Eunice is determined to find out what really happened to her husband.

In her search for justice, Eunice is caught and tortured. She is turned into an example for those who stand up to the cruel military government. Despite going through a lot of pain, she doesn't give up on her search for Rubens. Eunice keeps fighting for the truth over time, even though the military government stated that they were just following orders.

After several years, when Brazil becomes a democracy again, Eunice gets an official death certificate for Rubens. The movie ends with a moving scene that shows the fight Eunice and the Paiva family put up for justice, even after so much loss.

I'm Still Here is available to stream on Apple TV+.

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