The movie "
I'm Still Here", directed by Walter Salles and based on the book by
Marcelo Rubens Paiva, has become a
cinematic reference in Brazil and around the world. In addition to securing the first Oscar statuette for the country in the
Best International Film category, another gift should arise from this masterpiece: a new cultural center in Rio de Janeiro. One day after the award ceremony, the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, announced that the city hall will buy the house, located in the neighborhood of
Urca, to transform it into a cultural space, named
Casa do Cinema Brasileiro. It will be
open for visitation. The idea is to honor the memory of Rubens Paiva while, at the same time,
pay tribute to the resistance of thousands of Brazilians who lived during the period of authoritarianism, one of the central themes of the work. "It is a reverence to all those who create culture in our country. The Oscar was for the film, but all our cultural expressions have been awarded. And our duty as public power is to perpetuate our memory, preserve it, and encourage new 'I'm Still Here' works to be produced. We have a unique and valuable cultural richness," said Mayor Eduardo Paes.
The house of "I'm Still Here"
(Fabio Mota/Prefeitura do Rio de Janeiro)
The residence of
480 m² was built in 1937, and since then it has undergone some renovations to match the dwelling that Rubens Paiva
lived with his family in 1970. The original property from the story was located on Avenida Delfim Moreira, and it no longer exists (a building was constructed in its place). The city's goal is for the space to become a permanent home for memories so that the
story of Eunice Paiva (portrayed in the cinema by
Fernanda Torres) and her family is not forgotten.
(Fabio Mota/ Prefeitura do Rio de Janeiro)
The renovation done for the filming aimed to bring the look of the residence closer to the old property of the Paiva family, with changes in the
floors to an older model and even the electric gate being replaced with a metal model, similar to the original house. The walls were also aged using a special paint, and the wall and porch underwent changes to look more like the residence from the 1970s.
