The best international feature Academy Award for Walter Salles’ timely drama backdropped the annual celebrations and validated a political movement: “It’s hard to put into words just how big of a moment this is.

When Spanish actress Penélope Cruz announced “I'm Still Here” as the winner of the international feature at the Academy Awards, millions of Brazilians roared at home and on the streets, where Carnival festivities have been ongoing since Saturday.

Brazil’s Carnival muse this year isn’t one of the divas or drum queens parading with the Rio de Janeiro samba schools.