When Spanish actress Penélope Cruz announced that “I’m Still Here” was the winner of best international film at the Academy Awards, Brazilians roared at home and on the streets, where Carnival festivities have been ongoing since Saturday.

The film is based on a true story set in 1970s Rio de Janeiro, when Brazil was living under a military dictatorship.

After celebrating its three Oscar nominations for Walter Salles’ “I’m Still Here” with the same excitement it normally reserves for the soccer World Cup, Brazil went into overdrive when it took home the best international feature statuette.

The best picture and best actress nominations for “I’m Still Here” have inspired national pride in a country whose culture has long been overlooked.

I’m Still Here,” a film about a family torn apart by the military dictatorship that ruled Brazil for more than two decades, gave Brazil its first Oscars win on Sunday in the international film category.

The Girl with the Needle,' 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig,' 'Flow,' 'Emilia Pérez' and 'I'm Still Here' were all up for Best International Feature

Brazil’s Carnival muse this year isn’t one of the divas or drum queens parading with the Rio de Janeiro samba schools.

The Brazilian film 'I'm Still Here,' depicting a family's struggle during military dictatorship, wins the Oscar for Best International Film at the 2025 Academy Awards, overshadowing competitors like 'Emilia Perez' and 'Flow.

Bob-Dylan biopic starring Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown, and Edward Berger’s papal drama, Conclave, both bagged eight nominations, and Sean Baker’s Cinderella story, Anora, garnered six. All six are in the running for Best Picture.— Rebecca Schneid

Morgan Freeman speaks about Gene Hackman with an image of Gene Hackman on the screen during the Oscars on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) The death of Gene Hackman at 95, discovered just days before the ...

Morgan Freeman speaks about Gene Hackman with an image of Gene Hackman on the screen during the Oscars on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello ...