Señorita 89 and KaDeWe - Our Time is Now focus on culture and identity
The BBC has acquired two non-English language dramas from Fremantle, exploring the dark side of beauty pageants in 1980s Mexico and friendships in Berlin amid the rise of the Nazis.
Fremantle and Fabula tied with Oscar-winning producers Pablo and Juan de Dios Larraín for 8 x 60-minute Señorita 89. Set in 1980s Mexico, where budding beauty are forced to undergo strict diet regimes and even surgeries the police investigate the hidden world of manipulation and mistreatment after the death of one young woman.
The series is written and directed by showrunner Lucia Puenzo (La Jauría), and exec produced by Larraín and Dios Larraín (A Fantastic Woman, La Jauría), Fabula’s Angela Poblete and Mariane Hartad and Fremantle’s president of global drama Christian Vesper.
It launched on OTT streaming service Pantaya in the US and Puerto Rico and on Starzplay in Spain and Latin America.
The 6 x 60-minute German language series KaDeWe - Our Time is Now derives its title from Berlin department store Kaufhaus des Westens (department store of the West).
It follows four progressive young friends at KaDeWe in the 1920s who swear an oath of allegiance in the pursuit of individual and collective happiness. But the rise of the Nazis threatens the existence of the Jewish-owned store, their friendship and hopes for the future.
Written and directed by the filmmaker Julia von Heinz, the series is produced by Constantin Television (We Children from Bahnhof Zoo) and UFA Fiction (Deutschland 83/86/89) in co-production with ARD Degeto and RBB.
The exec producers are Oliver Berben and Benjamin Benedict, and the producers are Sarah Kirkegaard and Alicia Remirez. Von Heinz wrote the screenplay with John Quester, Sabine Steyer-Violet and Oskar Sulowski.
Fremantle’s exec vice president co-production and distribution, EMEA, international, Jamie Lynn, said: “Despite being set in two very different times in history, Senorita 89 and KaDeWe – Our Time is Now both address important topical issues surrounding women, beauty, culture and identity, that still resonate today.
“The spectacular talent, both behind and in front of the camera, bring the powerful stories to life and I’m confident both series will make a lasting impression on viewers”.
BBC’s head of programme acquisition, Sue Deeks, added: “Senorita 89 and KaDeWe are examples of incredible international talent, both in front of and behind the camera. They each have their own unique flavour, but both are truly remarkable.”
Both series will air later this year.
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