It’s been nearly a week since my last post and my last #acwri setting. Life is pretty hectic right now at the best of times but throw a poorly child into the mix and it further complicates the possibility of having any time or headspace for writing. Today is my first day of the week where I’m not at work but rather at home with my two-and-a-half-year-old. He is currently singing away to himself in his bed (instead of napping – I fear the nap may be disappearing on me but that’s another story!) so I thought I’d take a moment to do some writing.
So I’m returning to #AcWriMo2021 with some Spanish viewing recommendations based on series I’ve been watching lately. The truth is I am a little out of touch with recent Spanish cinema releases and have been spending more time watching series on online streaming platforms. Indeed, one of the aims of my most recent research project is to broaden the focus of my work to focus on Spanish audiovisual cultures rather than just cinema.
Some of the recommendations below are series I have watched specifically with research in mind, while others are more for entertainment purposes. Admittedly though, it doesn’t take much for me to start thinking about research and how what I’m watching might fit with my current work!
- La casa de papel [Money Heist] (Netflix)
Probably my favourite Spanish series to date, La casa de papel is the product of creative duo Álex Pina and Esther Martínez Lobato. A group of misfits break into the Royal Mint in Madrid, take hostages, and become the heroes of an anti-elite movement that spills out onto the streets. As the series has progressed, the storylines have admittedly become more and more farfetched, meaning that a significant degree of suspense of belief is required prior to watching. Relatedly, I can usually only watch one episode at a time due to the high stakes and tension that permeate each segment! The narrative structure tends to flit back and forwards through time to build tension and create drama and the series frequently utilises a narrative voice-over to filter and frame events from the perspective of the criminals, more specifically from the point of view of protagonist Tokyo/Silene Oliveria (Úrsula Corberó). My favourite thing about the series is the cast: Corberó’s performance as the hardened Tokyo is standout, as is Alba Flores as Nairobi/Ágata Jiménez. Cast additions in later series, such as Fernando Cayo as Colonel Luis Tamayo and the inimitable Najwa Nimri as the pregnant National Police Corps inspector Alicia Sierra, are inspired choices. I thoroughly recommend, especially if you like suspense, thriller, edge-of-your-seat action!
- Vis a vis [Locked Up] (All 4)
Another series created and produced by Martínez Lobato, Vis a vis is another of my favourite Spanish programmes I’ve watched recently. I watched this specifically for research but was also hooked from an entertainment perspective. Pitched as the Spanish equivalent of Orange Is The New Black, Vis a vis focuses on middle-class Macarena Ferreiro (Maggie Civantos) who is sent to prison for embezzling funds from the company she worked for and for the boss with whom she was having an affair. Like La casa de papel, the series becomes more dramatic with each season and additionally moves away from the privileged white protagonist to become much more of a female ensemble drama. This was reportedly strategic due to Civantos’ success in and commitment to Las chicas del cable (more on this below!) and, therefore, her absence from the show. However, as a result, other characters become the focus and are allowed to shine. Once again like La casa de papel, the cast is noteworthy with Najwa Nimri and Alba Flores playing multi-layered characters whose identities as women cut against stereotypes of femininity. Although it has been compared to Orange Is the New Black as already mentioned, moments of light relief are far fewer in Vis a vis. This series will appeal to viewers who enjoy prison dramas as well as thrillers.
- Las chicas del cable [Cable Girls] (Netflix)
The first Spanish original produced by Netflix in collaboration with Bambú producciones, period drama Las chicas del cable follows a group of women who become telephone operators for a telecommunications company in Madrid in the late 1920s. Like La casa de papel, the series utilises the device of a narrative voice-over, that of protagonist Lidia/Alba (Blanca Súarez) as well as a time-hopping narrative to create tension and suspense. Alongside the female-led cast, the series posits gender and specifically femininity, addressing themes such as women’s rights and liberation, domestic abuse, homosexuality and trans identity. Las chicas del cable will be of interest to those who like period dramas and female-centred melodrama.
- Valeria (Netflix)
If Vis a vis is the Spanish Orange is the New Black, then Valeria is the Spanish Sex and the City. Full disclosure: this is a series I watched purely for entertainment purposes, though I do still think it is important in terms of representations of women and femininity in contemporary Spanish audiovisual cultures. Based on Elísabet Benavent’s novel En los zapatos de Valeria, the series follows protagonist Valeria and her friends, a group of young professionals living in Madrid and negotiating their various personal struggles. Like Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie, the eponymous Valeria (Diana Gómez) is a writer. Unlike Carrie, Valeria is married though this relationship is not without its challenges. This is a fun and yet poignant series with both contemplative and comedic moments. But the series also addresses important political feminist issues, such as the opening sequence of Series 2, Episode 5 (‘Fundición’) which evokes the #NiUnaMenos movement and sees the girls all navigating problematic scenarios on their walks home after a night out. I really recommend this as fun, light-hearted viewing!
There are so many others on my list that I’ve yet to finish, or indeed start! But these would be my favourites I’ve seen of late. What have you been watching/enjoying? Let me know on Twitter and/or in the comments 😊
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