Walter Salles was supposed to be back in Cannes competition with “I’m Still Here,” but I heard the film got pulled in the last minute. Salles wasn’t done editing the film. However, it will be in Venice competition and, based on the buzz alone, is surely a Golden Lion contender. Sony Pictures Classics has just bought North American rights for “I’m Still Here,” and a bunch of international territories as well.
Salles, known for “The Motorcycle Diaries” and “Central Station,” is said to tackle in this latest film the true story of a woman forced into activism after her husband is captured by the military regime in Brazil in the 1970s. The film reunites Salles with his Oscar-nominated “Central Station” star Fernanda Montenegro.
Salles’ last film was his mixed reviewed 2012 adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road,” which was in Cannes competition, but he hasn’t delved into fiction filmmaking since then, only making a 2016 documentary about Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke. As mentioned, expect this one to land on the Lido in September.