Leading Brazilian streamer Globoplay has worked extensively over the past five years to solidify its international presence in order to achieve what few other companies have: produce local content from South America that not only resonates globally, but also creates tangible impact within international markets and events. The streamer has been playing original series in the Berlinale Series market for the past three years, and earlier this week won the coveted Studio Babelsberg Production Excellence Award for “Emergency 53.”
This newly introduced award is important for Globoplay’s internationalization efforts, as it recognizes outstanding creative projects that combine artistic ambition and international potential. “Emergency 53” is created by the same creative team behind Globoplay’s hit procedural series “Under Pressure,” Andrucha Waddington and Claudio Torres, as well as creator and consultant Márcio Maranhão. The series, scheduled to launch later this year, follows a group of doctors, nurses and drivers from the Special Mobile Services Unit as they navigate their personal and professional dramas. “Emergency 53” is produced by Torres and Waddington’s main Conspiração banner.
The Berlinale Series Market jury, which selects the winners of the inaugural Studio Babelsberg Production Excellence Award, said in a statement that the series “stands out for its solid grasp of procedural form, its convincing young protagonist, and its diverse ensemble rich in emotional and narrative potential.”
“The setting is one of the series’ greatest achievements: a vibrant, complex environment is depicted not as a backdrop but as an active force shaping the story,” the statement continued. “This specificity gives the drama texture and social relevance, taking it beyond the commonplace of emergency rooms and police procedurals. Its setting is rarely seen in high-production mainstream drama, but it gives the series substance, urgency and social depth. It’s ambitious, fresh, and deeply rooted in the world it depicts.”
Alex Medeiros, head of content and fiction at Globoplay and Globo Film, told Variety that he and his team are “incredibly proud to be the recipients of this award. This award not only recognizes the artistry of the series, but also reaffirms the power of quintessentially Brazilian stories to resonate with audiences around the world.” The executive added, “Latin America seems to be gaining momentum in the international film and television world, and we are honored to be a part of it.”
Tanya Meisner, director of Berlinale Pro, added that she and her team are “delighted with the success of our first collaboration with Studio Babelsberg.” “The joint event was a great success, surprising the winners and receiving very positive feedback. This experience made us optimistic. We look forward to continuing this promising partnership to further promote our outstanding global scripted series and set new creative standards together.”
under pressure
Globo
Waddington stressed that he wanted to share the honor not only with his team but also with “all public health workers in Brazil.” Speaking to Variety ahead of the series’ premiere in Berlin, the director emphasized how the project is deeply specific to specific areas of Brazil’s healthcare system, while at the same time maintaining an important element of universality in how it tackles class inequality.
“Globoplay really believed in us when we proposed the project,” he said. “I was a little unsure at first. Now, having watched all 10 episodes, I am a strong believer in this format. Audiences like to be poked at and we shouldn’t underestimate our audience. ‘Emergency 53’ takes on major social issues without repeating themselves in each episode.”
Torres said it’s been “great to work creatively in an international environment that’s more open to projects from different countries and cultures,” citing Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite,” which won the Best Picture Oscar in 2019. “Nowadays, I see young people watching stories that are rooted in the realities of Korea, Sweden, Iceland…Brazil is a paradoxical country, and I think it’s precisely because of this paradox that it has so much to offer.” That is the basis of our series. ”
