“All the Flowers” is the second telenovela to be produced for Globo’s platform, Globoplay, continuing one of the biggest bets on streaming of a Latin America cosplay, seen it its bullish campaign for “Hidden Truths II.”
As the streaming era slowly enters a market maturity, Latin America’s biggest media company has set its aims on becoming a media tech giant. It will stilll, however, produce original telenovelas. The show created by João Emanuel Carneiro, creator of Globo’s ratings and sales phenom “Brazil Avenue” – has been one of the highlights at LA Screenings Independents alongside Globplay original series “The Others.”
Soon available on TelevisaUnivision’s fremium streaming service ViX, the series written by Vincent Villari, Eliane Garcia and Daisy Chaves follows Maíra (Sophie Charlotte) a visual impaired perfumer. After being visited by a long absent mother with no good intentions and her sister (played by a wonderfully mischievous Letícia Colin), Maíra sets out on a dangerous journey where her freedom and determination will be put to the test.
As time goes by, finding a global hit proves to be an elusive and complex alchemy for most streamers yet with the second part of the “All the Flowers” already airing in Brazil, Globo has added once again to a production line that upholds an international quality whilst never letting go of its core melodrama.
Variety talked with Carneiro, a telenovela doyen, as his series hit the LA Screenings as one of Globo’s flagship titles.
Robert McKee coined the idea that a hero is only as interesting as its antagonist and safe to say that the villains of a telenovela can usually be some of the most compelling and intricate characters of a show. Your show offers the audience a true telenovela villain archetype, mischievous, playful and almost camp. What is your take on writing villains and playing with the format archetypes in a modern telenovela?
In telenovelas, the villains tend to be even more interesting than the heroes. They give us a chance to work on our shadows. The villain of the telenovela signs the story together with me, since it is their actions that give life to the plot. I like to play villains with this satirical bias. It is a provocation to the viewer that generates an unexpected reaction, somewhere between nervous laughter and horror.
Has the change of platform, so way of being consumed, had an impact on the writing and structuring of the show? How do you see the telenovela format adapt to a streaming era?
It was a really cool challenge to make a Globo telenovela for streaming. My stories have always been restless and centered on a few characters, which is good for this platform and type of consumption. Besides, I was able to dare much more and carry more paint. But it is important to remember that, as at Globo we have a window strategy, even telenovelas developed for streaming also have very strong characteristics for linear consumption. No wonder, “All The Flowers” will be aired by [free to air] TV Globo later this year.
As much of an undying genre as it is, romance is also an always changing, having to adapt to ever moving conceptions of love. How is your experience writing romance for a modern day audience?
My stories have never centered on the protagonists’ romance. Maybe I’m not a very romantic guy. But I also think that a lot has changed, like women’s minds and the composition of families. Fiction needs to run after reality. In Brazil, most households are for single mothers. Difficult to idealize this Prince Charming for this Cinderella.
Blindness has been a long lasting metaphor capable of embodying theme and meaning and at the same time functions as a highly compelling narrative tool. Yet it entails for the filmmaker a lot of field research to truthfully portray it. Could you briefly talk about your approach to Maíra blindness, on these three levels?
More than the research, we have the experience of a team also with visually impaired people in front of and behind the cameras in the telenovela. Nathalia Santos, for example, is an assistant director, Camila Alves plays Gabriela in the telenovela and is our consultant. Moira Braga, who prepares the telenovela, plays Fafá. Amanda Mittz plays Laura and Cleber Tolini brings Márcio to life. In addition to Marcelo Edward, who is an audio operator. We also had consultancy from Guilherme Bara for the workshop that was held for the entire team. One of the premises of the telenovela is to highlight the paradox between appearance and essence, and in the case of Maíra’s character, despite not seeing it, she seems to be the only person who sees life in depth in a universe of distorted and futile values, where superficiality and image are of greater importance.
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