A Second Watch: Rediscovering “I Am Still Here”

Very rarely do I watch a movie twice, but I Am Still Here, Brazil’s Oscar 2025 nominee in three categories, is an exception. This time, it wasn’t just my love for cinema that brought me back—I was escorting my wife, who hadn’t seen it yet. On this second watch, I paid special attention to the soundtrack, and it hit me how carefully curated the music was to capture the essence of the seventies.

The film’s score is almost perfect for portraying that era. Classics from Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, Tim Maia, Nelson Sargento, Roberto Carlos, and Erasmo Carlos fill the scenes with authenticity and nostalgia. Even Je t'aime moi non plus, written by Serge Gainsbourg and performed by Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin, fits seamlessly into the narrative, adding a European touch that resonates with the time.

A few moments stood out for me. The sound design during Eunice’s arrest was especially powerful—her desperate breathing created a palpable sense of agony and despair. Another striking detail was the echoing sound of an empty house once filled with life. It’s subtle yet deeply moving.

Watching it at an AMC theater in a sold-out screening in New York with Dolby sound enhanced the experience even more. Every detail of the soundtrack and sound effects was crisp and immersive.

If you haven’t seen I Am Still Here yet, it’s a journey well worth taking—for both its storytelling and its masterful use of sound and music.