Walter Salles’s true-story drama reflects on a dark chapter from Brazil’s authoritarian past that has a chilling resonance for the world we live in today

There are many reasons Walter Salles’s heart-rending drama I’m Still Here should win the Oscar for best picture: its gorgeous Brazilian soundtrack, extraordinary, empathetic performances and poignant camerawork to name a few.

But surely one of the most compelling is the giant party such a victory would produce in the director’s native Brazil where, serendipitously, Oscar night falls slap bang in the middle of the country’s annual carnival.