A tombstone placed in a blue chapel in the Araçá Cemetery, in São Paulo, remembers her with love: “Example for family and Brazilian democracy”. It is there, along with several chapels of Italian families, that the lawyer is buried and one of the symbols of the fight against Brazilian dictatorship and human rights Maria Lucrecia Eunice Facciolla Paiva, better known as Eunice Paiva (1929-2018).
Her story became even more famous after actress Fernanda Torres played her in the movie I’m still heredirected by Walter Salles. Nominated for best film awards, best foreign film and best actress in This year’s Oscarthe feature is an adaptation of the book of the same name written by Marcelo Rubens Paiva. In this book, the author tells the real story of his family, centered on his mother’s struggle shortly after his father’s disappearance, Deputy Rubens Paiva, taken by police in 1971 during the Brazilian military dictatorship. Rubens Paiva’s body has never been found.
The success of the production generated even more curiosity about the lawyer’s life and where she was buried, especially after actress Fernanda Torres, winner of the Golden Globe for the interpretation of Eunice in the cinema, made a visit to the cemetery. “A year ago, the filming of I’m still here And I was alone to thank this great Brazilian, for the honor of embodying her in the cinema. Thank you, Eunice, “wrote the actress in November last year, posting a picture next to her tombstone on her Instagram profile.
Visits
Since then, the guided tours of the Araçá Cemetery – which have included a visit to Eunice Paiva’s tomb – has gathered hundreds of visitors. The tour is organized by the necrotourism project what haunts you?, Which already routinely promoted free visits to cemeteries and tombs of historical personalities in the state of São Paulo. The next guided tour, for example, is planned for the morning of February 16th.
“What haunt you? It is a project that I idealized and was born to tell the history of haunting. He is very inspired by Gilberto Freire’s haunting book by Recife Velho, which makes an interesting parallel between the socio-urban development of the city of Recife and the stories of haunting, ”said researcher and lawyer Thiago de Souza.
SAO PAULO (SP), 06/02/2025 – .Peschoring Thiago de Souza is happy with the interest of the population for the tomb of Eunice Paiva – Paulo Pinto/Agência Brasil
In an interview with Brazil agencyHe explained that these stories eventually led him to the cemeteries. And then came the idea of developing a new project, longing and its voices, which focuses on the Araçá Cemetery. This project works the cemetery as a place of memory, culture, heritage and stories.
“I never imagined that a cemetery had so many potentialities and was such an important instrument to tell stories. I like to say that the cemetery is the place that best tells our stories. Everyone who built our history rests on some cemetery. They are great history counters of our communities and our cities, ”added the researcher.
The inclusion of Eunice Paiva’s tomb in the guided tours that were already held in that necropolis happened late last year, shortly after Fernanda Torres’ post, when the researcher finally found that she was buried in Araçá. And the decision to include it on this visit was motivated because its history represents not only the struggle for democracy, but also reflects on the importance of memories and mourning.
“Her story dialogues with two interesting aspects: the first is the memory, the importance of remembering and we seek the truth, just as it was for her the search for answers about the whereabouts of Deputy Rubens Paiva. But a second aspect that is very important for us is to understand the importance of mourning processes, which is something that may not be very noticeable in history. Eunice’s great search was to have the right to know what had happened to her husband, who were responsible for her death and where he was buried, ”he reflects.
For the researcher, it is great to see the interest of people by Eunice because, from this, reflections on the importance of memory and about meeting a sense of compaderation by people who have suffered great violence.
São Paulo (SP), 06/02/2025 -. Chapel with the remains of Eunice Paiva, in the Araçá Cemetery, in Pacaembu – Paulo Pinto/Agência Brasil
Araçá Cemetery
Inaugurated in 1897, the Araçá Cemetery was created due to the overcrowding of the Consolation Cemetery and the growth of Italian immigration in São Paulo. The name Araçá derives from the old Araçá Road, which was surrounded by a plant of the same name. Currently, this road has become Avenida Doctor Arnaldo.
In addition to housing the tomb of Eunice Paiva, the Araçá Cemetery keeps other important personalities in the history of Brazil, such as actresses Cacilda Becker and Nair Bello and businessman Assis Chateaubriand. This is also where the Mausoleum of the Military Police is and a ossuary where formerly the remains of people murdered by the military dictatorship were organized and were buried in the clandestine ditch of Perus. The site also stands out for works of art, signed by artists such as Victor Brecheret.
To participate in the guided tour of the Araçá Cemetery you don’t have to pay anything. The organizers only ask for the contribution of a kilo of food that is later sent to a lunch box distribution project to homeless people. Subscriptions can be made through the profile what haunts you? (@oqueteassombra) On Instagram.
