Profugos: New Formats and Regionalization in Latin American Television Serial Fiction
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8 Profugos: new formats and regionalization in Latin American television serial fiction 1 Prófugos: Novos Formatos e Regionalização na Ficção Seriada de TV Latino-Americana Luiza Lusvarghi1 ABSTRACT The resumption of audiovisual productions in Latin America during the 1990s have not only affected the cinematographic sphere, but TV production as well. The latest production aimed at explo- ring this genre is a Chilean series co-produced with HBO Latin America named Profugos (Runaways), fe- aturing four popular local actors and directed by Pablo Larraín of the acclaimed film Tony Manero (2008, Brazil/Chile). Profugos shows that definitely soap opera is no longer the only Latin American fictional format, besides dialoguing with the action genre global tradition, also marking the consolidation of major networks intervention policy towards the local market. KEYWORDS Latin American TV series; HBO Latin America; crime and action genre; serial fiction; neo- -crime genre 1 Luiza Lusvarghi graduated in English Language & Literature at FASB (1977) and also in Journalism at PUC São Paulo (1986). She holds a Master degree in Communication Sciences at ECA-USP (2002) with a dissertation on MTV and Globalization. She holds a Ph.D. degree (ACE-USP, 2007) with a thesis on Globalization and Brazilian audiovisual Production, and held a Post-Doctoral position at UFPE as a researcher on audiovisual strategies of media corporations in the Northeast. She is the author of the books De MTV à Emetevê (2007), Cinema Nacional e World Cinema (2010) and Fora do Eixo: Indústria da Música e Mercado Audiovisual no Nordeste (2010). She currently researches new television formats and cop shows as a Latin American genre. 9 INTRODUCTION vasser (El Puntero, El Trece, 2011, Daniel Barone)2 he international success of movies like Cidade combines action, suspense, and political thriller Tde Deus (City of God, Fernando Meirelles & Ka- elements (GULLINO, 2012). By establishing a vi- tia Lund, 2002), and Tropa de Elite 2 (Elite Squad 2, sual identity of their own, these TV serials have José Padilha, 2011) – the highest-grossing movie been largely contributing to bury, once and for all, ever in the history of Brazilian cinema – have ins- the idea that Latin American television serial fic- pired a whole new wave of crime dramas and ac- tion is simply a parody of the American sitcoms or tion television series in Brazil. The television scre- just as a synonym for telenoleva (soap opera) or en was invaded by series like Força-Tarefa (Task “melodrama”. Force, Globo, 2009-2011, José Alvarenga), 9 MM: One recent example of this trend is the series São Paulo (HBO, 2008-2011, Michael Ruman), A Lei Profugos (HBO, 2011-2013) - a Spanish word that e o Crime (Law & Crime, Record, 2009, Alexandre means “runaways” – produced by HBO Chile in Avancini), and Mandrake (HBO, 2005-20007, José partnership with local production companies Efe- Henrique Fonseca), besides Fora de Controle (Out tres and Fabula, running for two seasons 3. The of Control, Record, 2012, Daniel Resende & Johnny series is quite typical of Latin American police Araújo), written by Marcílio de Moraes. While Re- literature of the 70’s and 80’s, and the same ap- cord is negotiating a new series agreement with plies to cinema: the most important parts of the Fox Films, Globo has announced the TV series The plot is neither solving the mystery nor finding the Web ( A Teia) to be released in 2014. This trend, truth. However, its imaginary owes more to mo- however, is not peculiar to Brazil, nor can it be ex- vies and television drama than to literature itself. plained solely in terms of box-office success. This paper took into account the police genre as TV Series like Argentinean Cops & Robbers a concept according to studies by Jason Mittell (Poliladrón, Canal 13, 1995-1997, Sebastián Pivot- (2004), who proposes approaching genre as a so- to, Fernando Spiner), Epitaphs (Epitafios, HBO, cial category, hence analyzing its emergence in 2004-2009, Jorge Nisco), and Brothers & De- American television with the cop shows4, since tectives (Hermanos y Detectives , Telefe, 2006, the American model is this sort of production most Damián Szifrón), a franchise series developed in eight different countries, as well as the Mexican 2 In fact, differently from cinema, television opening series Cappadocia, (Capadócia, HBO,2008-2010, credits highlight the roles of both scenario author and scriptwriter, as shown in El Puntero with Adrian Suar Epigmenio Ibarra), produced in association with and Mario Segade’s names. There is also the concept HBO, became part of the Latin American Imagina- of showrunner, as in Fox’s 9 MM credits for Roberto Dávila, the producer who signs the series creation ry surrounding the genre with a fictional produc- along with Newton Cannito and Carlos Amorim. tion which speaks of violence and social clashes, 3 The second season’s finale will be aired in Decem- realistically addressing urban issues while also ber, 14th 2013. mirroring the tradition of these genres in world ci- 4 Actually, early cop shows ran on the radio as crime nema, especially in the U.S. drama, a formula that is similar to docudrama and do- The successful Argentine miniseries The Can- cumentaries inspired by police journalism which have migrated to television and cinema (MITTELL, 2004). The term refers to television police serials. 10 relevant reference both to producers and audien- some of these literary works adaptations for the ce. Jesus Martin-Barbero (2006) concepts were screen. used to analyze reception and addressing modes. By its turn, the term noir was first used by Nino Cultural Studies provide the main approach to the Frank (1946), and it is discussed here under the most recent reception studies in Latin America perspectives offered both by James Naremore (FRANKEMBERG et al, 2009), and Martin-Barbero (2008) and Frank Krutnik (1991), since the audio- is one of its heralds, specially due to his studies visual codes of television genres, and especially on the significance of television’s hegemony over crime news shows developed in the United States the Imaginary. According to Martin-Barbero, the derived from cinema. classification of television genres functions as a When they were first released, noir movies strategy for attracting the audience, and althou- were identified as social criticism for showing gh telenovela is the most popular format in Latin modern societies’ conflicts, in which evil seems America, it doesn’t mean other references have to be inherent to civilization. Like the American not inspired cop shows as well. cop shows of the 50’s, which challenged sitcoms’ Usually, this new Latin American film and televi- schmaltzy formula by showing America’s other sion production was dubbed neo-crime or “novela side (MITTELL, 2004), Latin American police and negra”, in Spanish, alluding to the concept of noir action series are responsible for introducing post- created by French critics, as used in studies on -modern conflicts in television fiction with more the genre in France (NAREMORE, 2008). The term realistic characters, a setting distant from the “neo-crime” was used in reference to the genre’s electronic-feuilleton, the easy formula of social expansion as a literary phenomenon in Latin Ame- improvement through marriage and the happy rica, particularly since the 80’s with writers like endings. Paco Ignacio Taibo, Ricardo Piglia, Patrícia Melo, This paper aims at understanding the dialogue Ramon Diaz Eterovic, Leonardo Padura, and Mar- between the genre’s Hollywoodian formats and çal Aquino, whose works turn to the continent’s Latin American audiovisual tradition, and more reality instead of the distant reality of the Ame- specifically Chilean, through the television series rican model, for the policeman image is not one “Profugos” produced by filmmaker Pablo Larra- of heroism: most of them earn little and live in ín in association with HBO, and classification of conflict inside the corrupted corporation. Some Hollywoodian genres as proposed by Steve Neale of them have also played an essential role during (2000). the times of the military dictatorship, when police corps supported authoritarian and repressive go- Contemporary action and crime vernments. Although Naremore (2008) dismisses The “Prófugos” series tells the story of a family the influence of police genre and specifically noir who makes a living out of drug dealing in the re- in literature as irrelevant compared to film, it is im- gion between Bolivia and Chile. The Ferragut fa- portant to note that this literary tradition in Latin mily is headed by Kika (Claudia di Girólamo), a wo- America was consolidated in parallel with the re- man who, after losing her husband, convinces her sumption of local film production, which included 11 eldest son, the veterinarian Vicente (Néstor Can- produce a certain estrangement. There’s no rock tillana), to take over his father’s job and becomes and roll, no jazz, not the slightest trace of the typi- the head of the cartel. Kika has also a daughter, cal American soundtrack. The song “Cuatro Heri- Laura (Blanca Lewin), a lawyer, with whom she das”, written by Moreno and Juan Cristobal Me- maintains an uneasy relationship. Against her will, zas, who composed the soundtrack for Profugos, Laura is encharged of defending and concealing combines traditional Mexican instruments such the family business before the law. The family is as cuatro, tiple, charango, and zampoña. also aided by the handyman Mario (Luis Gnecco), “Prófugos” main screenwriter Pablo Illanes a violent man who used to be a torturer during the enjoyed a successful career in television at first Pinochet regime. in TV drama aimed at the younger audience seg- Oscar (Francisco Reyes), one of the drug smu- ment, addressing issues like homosexuality and gglers, was a revolutionary in the 70’s but after drugs, and later with the huge hit “¿Donde está being diagnosed with a terminal illness he will re- Elisa¿” (Where is Elisa?, TVN, 2009), classified as sort to trafficking in order to assure his daughter’s a teleserie by TVN (Chile’s state national televi- future.