Roar, the series where Nicole Kidman eats photos | the television

The woman who disappeared. The woman was put on the shelf. The woman who was found bitten on the skin. The woman who returned her husband. The woman who ate the pictures. Chapter titles Hadeer, the series that Apple TV + will premiere on April 15, leaves no doubt about their arguments. It’s not figurative, it’s literal. This extreme, almost absurdist craftsman serves up its creators, Liz Flahave and Carly Minch, to tell half-hour feminist tales with a surreal hue and a very real backstory. The eight episodes of this series tell independent stories starring, writing and directed by women who focus on the obstacles of daily life through highly unusual situations.

The plots are based on eight out of the 30 short stories the novelist published in 2019 Cecilia Ahern In a group with the same title. The strength of those novels has attracted the attention of Liz Flahave and Carly Mensch, whose previous series, radiate, was canceled by Netflix (having been renewed for the fourth installment) as one of the victims of the television epidemic. “We never want to repeat ourselves and are always looking for something different on our next project, and this project was completely different,” Liz Flahave said over a video call. “The two series obviously have in common that they are female stories, but it has more to do with making a series where you have to build an entire season than doing individual episodes. Playing with magical and surreal realism was very different and very exciting.”

To capture those myths—which the script team has obtained permission from the author to revise to their liking—, Hadeer It has a towering cast that includes Issa RayBetty Gilpin Cynthia ErivoAnd Merritt WeaverAnd Alison Brie s Nicole KidmanHe is also the executive producer of the series. “I still don’t know how we got these actors,” Flahive laughs. Writers wrote the episodes first and sent them to the actresses. “I think many have responded because of the strength of the stories behind them and the leading role that women play. Every actress lives her life force round In each scene, it’s exciting to feel that the female narrative is so central to the story.” With the actresses on board, they began a collaborative process to design the script for each one.” We didn’t write the scripts with anyone in mind, except for the role of Nicole. [Kidman]we soon learned that he will be participating in the series.” She was the heroine of the second episode, in which a woman whose mother suffers from dementia obsessively eats family photos in an attempt to preserve her memories.

One of the many distinguishing characteristics of Hadeer It is the tone of his stories, halfway between black comedy, mystery, surrealism, and even psychological horror. Carly [Mensch] And I always live in that space between telling dramatic stories with a comedic voice. I think there is nothing dangerous and deadly and nothing to joke about. That’s why we always try to find an emotional basis for storytelling, and a way to make it feel fresh and new,” explains the screenwriter.

This combination of tones and radical thematic propositions of each episode tests the limits of what the viewer is willing to accept. A woman who agrees to live off the shelf and become a vase in the literal sense of the word? A writer whose book will have an audiovisual modification but whose voice is literally inaudible to the point of disappearing before the eyes of the meeting attendees? A woman with a duck romantic relationship? However, the creators of the series were not afraid to exaggerate that almost absurd craftsmanship. “I think we were more concerned about not overdoing it most of the time. We had a lot of people around us cheering for us, especially Nicole Kidman, who made many bold choices in her professional and creative life. Each time we wondered if we were doing something horrible. Very, she was the first to say, “That’s cool, we gotta keep going, that’s exactly how far we have to go with this story.” Having someone like that gives you confidence, and drives your business. We all need a cheerleader or an entertainer to get rid of our fears.” , says Flahaev.

Liz Flahave and Karlie Mensch, both from the world of theater, have extensive experience with soap operas that tell women’s stories. I was a screenwriter for homeland s nurse jackie Before that co-create radiate. The second coincided with her partner in nurse jackie He was also a writer herbs s Orange is the new black. With Hadeer They take a more explicit step in their commitment to putting women at the center of the story, but aren’t they afraid to leave the men out? “Let’s see, I don’t think we ever tell stories about men in this way, and I find it interesting. I’ve never heard something like ‘We did sopranoAnd But will women like it? Well of course it’s a great story, they have these great guys telling a gangster story and it’s amazing, and that’s it. I think there are some… [toma aire unos segundos antes de proseguir]. When we talk about whether men will respond, I say, why don’t they? Something that has always been a surprise to people radiate It was the number of men who saw her. Well of course! Stories about women should not be the preserve of women, stories about women are available to everyone. So yeah, I think guys would respond. People will respond. At least I hope that’s the point we’re at, ”the screenwriter enthusiastically defends.

Hadeer She joins the plethora of television productions created and starring women who have brought diversity to the screen in recent years and after an era when male stories dominated prestigious television. One can even talk about the golden age of created serials and starring women. “Yes I do. The more diversity we have, not only in terms of gender behind the scenes, in the people who make the series, but also in the stories we value, we’ll see a change. We’re seeing a change in leadership. The more changes we see on networks and platforms, where we don’t have to You have to go into a room to talk to the old white men, who are the ones who run the ship and the people who decide the stories that are told, the more change there is in that regard, the more variety of creators on TV, the better TV will be. Because in the end, who wants to Seeing the same old story over and over again?”

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