Brazil has brilliant Brazilians, but this genius is only recognized when one of them lifts a cup. This may be a reflection of our historical lack of geopolitical protagonism and the subsequent turn-of-law that such a state of affairs instills and reinforces in the most diverse fields.
Genius, Fernanda Torres raised a cup last Sunday, in an equally brilliant contingency: having shown millions of Brazilians in cinemas here, and from now on to huge foreign audiences abroad, the horrors of our recent past.
And she did it, as the actress herself described in a delightful interview with GloboNews, with restraint, without stridency.
As we know, Fernanda gave life to Eunice Paiva, protagonist of “I’m Still Here”, a film by Walter Salles based on the book by Marcelo Rubens Paiva, Eunice’s son.
Eunice is an emblematic victim of the Brazilian dictatorship, emblematic for having always been denied the truth about her husband, Rubens Paiva, a former federal deputy and engineer who was tortured and killed on the same scaffold in Rio where she also endured an inexplicable detention for 12 days.
Afterwards, this “great Brazilian”, as Fernanda beautifully defined it, needed to “reinvent herself in adversity”, and her action is exemplary: at the same time she saw the responsible authorities withhold Rubens’ death certificate from her – the document would only arrive 25 years later. after his death –, he moved to another city, took care of his five children, graduated in law and advocated for indigenous people.
Fernanda Torres and Eunice Paiva are brilliant Brazilians, but perhaps only their unexpected victory at the Golden Globes, in Los Angeles, could have revealed this crystal clear truth. It would not be enough for the actress to have been nominated for the award and for it to compete against winners such as Nicole Kidman, Angelina Jolie, Kate Winslet, Tilda Swinton and Pamela Anderson.
In sport this condition seems to be even more radicalized. Being the “first of the losers” when you reach second place is a fate that repeats itself in football: Brazil needed no less than three World Cups to overcome the Maracanazo.
And also in Formula 1. Here, the difference in greatness between an Ayrton Senna and a Rubens Barrichello, say, has a clear relationship with the number of victories and, perhaps more, with the former’s obstinacy in achieving them. It is true that the early death on the track helped in the victorious – and mythological – narrative.
So, it’s not always enough to be a Daiane dos Santos, you have to be Rebeca Andrade, even if the latter perhaps wouldn’t have existed without the former; Nor is it enough to be Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima, no matter how bizarre and unfair the way the Olympic gold was stolen from him in Athens was.
In tennis, Guga Kuerten’s victories were inspiring and had some impact on interest in the sport, but the Santa Catarina native’s easy going style, without the obstinate character of a Djokovic, did not help to forge an Ayrton Senna myth.
Who knows, João Fonseca, with his incredible right hand and perhaps the same obstinacy for Ayrton’s victory, will fulfill this role. And, even though the carioca is 18 years old, I dare say that it’s something for now.
With João, we can make a trifecta, a Grand Slam for him, plus the Golden Globe and an Oscar for Fernanda and “I’m Still Here”.
Then maybe we can give Dorival a breather, and a third place next year would be good enough.
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