Fernanda Torres Wins Award, Cites ‘I’m Still Here’
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- Fernanda Torres received the Achievement Award at the Taormina Film Festival, fulfilling a longtime dream to be honored in the Italian town where her mother once won an award in 1978.
- Fernanda Torres highlighted her Italian heritage, noting that her mother, iconic Brazilian actress Fernanda Montenegro, was honored in Taormina in 1978, and that the award felt “unthinkable” before now.
- Fernanda Torres credited the Oscar‑winning drama “I’m Still Here” – where she plays Eunice Paiva, a woman of Italian descent – for reviving her career and bringing attention to immigration themes that resonate in Brazil and Italy.
- Fernanda Torres watched a clip of Jennifer Lopez’s emotional reaction to “I’m Still Here” on Brett Goldstein’s “Films to Be Buried With” podcast, describing the moment as “so, so moving” and a testament to the film’s universal family message.
- Fernanda Torres described the film as a “political film… a Greek tragedy” about a mother raising five children, emphasizing its broad appeal beyond ideology and its power to safeguard memory through Super 8 imagery.
- Fernanda Torres announced two upcoming projects: she wrote and will star in Andrucha Waddington’s “Os Corretores” (“The Brokers”) and will co‑star with Willem Dafoe in Bárbara Paz’s documentary‑style film “Cuddle”.
Why it matters: The accolade underscores the growing recognition of Brazilian talent in European cinema, amplifying the film’s message on immigration and family, and positions Torres for high‑profile projects alongside international stars. It also highlights the cross‑cultural resonance of diaspora stories, potentially attracting wider audiences and funding for similar transnational productions.
