President Lula praises achievement, symbolism of Fernanda Torres' Golden Globe award

Pride, merit, and historical symbolism. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his admiration and congratulations to actress Fernanda Torres in a phone call, honoring her achievement at the Golden Globe Awards held on Sunday in the USA. Torres won the award for Best Actress in a Drama Film for her performance in “I’m Still Here”, a feature film directed by Brazilian filmmaker Walter Salles.

"Fernanda, my dear, a million congratulations to you. Brazil deserved this, you deserved it, Walter Salles deserved it, and the film deserved it."

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of the Republic

"Fernanda, my dear, a million congratulations to you. You, my dear, deserve it. You deserved it even before. I can only imagine how your mother (Fernanda Montenegro, who competed in the same category 25 years ago for the film Central Station) must feel. The pride in her beloved daughter, her artist daughter. Brazil deserved this, you deserved it, Walter Salles deserved it, and the film deserved it," said the President.

The actress expressed her gratitude and highlighted the symbolic importance of the award, and the revival of culture and memory from the military dictatorship period, particularly for younger generations. "Oh, Lula, it is so beautiful for this award to come now. Such a wonderful thing for culture, for art, which has been so attacked. This film taught many young people what it means to live in a state in which there are no civil rights," Fernanda affirmed.

The script tells the story of Eunice Paiva, whose husband, former federal congressman Rubens Paiva, was taken from their home in 1971 and killed by the Brazilian military dictatorship. Her journey and that of her family in search of information about what really happened has become a symbol of the fight for truth and the defense of human rights. The screenplay is based on the book written by Marcelo Rubens Paiva, the couple's son.

JANUARY 8 — President Lula also highlighted the symbolic importance of the award on the eve of the event in defense of democracy, marking the two-year anniversary of the invasion and destruction of the headquarters of the Three Branches of Government [Sede dos Três Poderes] on January 8, 2023, in Brasília. "There could not have been a better moment for Brazil to receive, with great pride, this award. I want to see if we can make 2025 a year for the defense of democracy, so we can teach our youth what democracy is, so they understand the value of democracy," the president commented.

In another post on social media about Fernanda Torres' achievement, the President also praised the role of cinema and culture for the country. "Cinema and culture are powerful tools to keep alive the stories that shape who we are, transforming memory into learning and art into resistance," he wrote.

Lula added that "the film reflects on a past of horrors that must be remembered, so that new generations know it and older ones never forget”. ”By recognizing Fernanda Torres' work, the world also recognizes the importance of telling our stories, of not tolerating authoritarianism or violence. May the strength and resilience of Eunice Paiva, told in this great film, build bridges and bring new generations closer to this important debate for the preservation of our young democracy. We must always be vigilant and ready to defend it."