Director Walter Salles uses cinematic language, skillfully blending color, sound, and camera techniques to tell his stories The Brazilian director’s films include The Motorcycle Diaries, Central Station, and an adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s On The Road. His latest is I’m Still Here, a deeply personal narrative set in 1970s Brazil during the military dictatorship. Inspired by people he knew, the film follows a family grappling with a devastating trauma. Salles tells The Treatment why he believes that film is about subtraction. He talks about why he created a thriving family life that burst at the seams at the beginning of the film. He also reveals the best compliment he has received about the drama.
Director Walter Salles and Elvis Mitchell at KCRW. Photo credit: Rebecca Mooney.