Nuclear warship murder thriller “R91,” Kyrgyz action drama “Red Pants” and Latin dance drama “Chaka Cha!” were big winners Tuesday night at France’s Series Mania, Europe’s largest television festival, winning prizes offered by the Series Mania Forum’s Buyer’s Upfront and Co-pro Pitching Sessions and three major industry events for series makers.
In Tuesday’s Series Mania, Ampere Analysis suggested that it broadly builds on three genres that are favorites of internet users around the world: crime and thrillers, comedy and action, and adventure, all of which hint at ambitions for a wider audience.
“R91”
R91, an ambitious high-concept thriller set aboard the French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, begins with the discovery of the dead body of a female crew member just hours after leaving port.
“When the killer strikes again, the series evolves from a murder investigation to a spy thriller to a full-blown military crisis,” said SND International Distribution Director Ramy Nahas, just before Buyers Upfront.
The series marks the first joint acquisition between Amazon Prime Video France and leading free-to-air channel M6. Produced by Henri Debourme (“Marianne, The Mission”) and Mathilde Arnault, “R91” will be directed by Julien Despoeux (“Black Spot,” “Paris Police 1900”). Just before Buyer’s Upfront, SND announced a notable cast led by Elodie Yung (‘Marvel’s Daredevil,’ ‘The Cleaning Lady,’ ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’) and Alban Lenoir, star of Netflix’s global hit series ‘Lost Bullet.’
“Charles de Gaulle is the most powerful warship in France’s arsenal, a floating city that operates with its own laws, hierarchies and power relations,” Debourme said. “It’s the perfect setting for an interesting story about trust, legitimacy, and the cost of command.”
“Red pants”
“Red Pants” from Kyrgyzstan, which won a prize of 50,000 euros ($58,000), is set in the late 1970s in Soviet Union Kyrgyzstan, where Aisha, the daughter of a military officer, forms the first female criminal organization “Red Pants” made up of teenagers to avenge her father’s death and oppose the oppressive regime.
“Created in a Kyrgyz voice, Red Pants reveals a rarely explored chapter of Soviet Central Asia, speaking to universal struggles for dignity, agency, and survival. This project stands out for its emotional rawness and fearless young female protagonist,” co-producer Pavel Feldman told Variety.
“I was born in Issyk-Kul, the region where the events of this project take place. What is important to me in this story is not only the criminal plot. It is a deeper exploration of power, identity and female agency within a rigid, patriarchal and controlling system,” said creator Tirek Chelikov.
“The title comes from the awkward moment when their leader’s jeans get stained with menstrual blood,” he added. “By dyeing their pants red, the girls turned this into an act of solidarity and an unashamed symbol of strength, unity, and femininity.”
“Cha cha cha!”
“Cha Cha Cha!” is a dramatic 30-minute, eight-part film about a Generation X woman whose blood pressure is abnormally high and who finally realizes how disconnected she is from herself. “She took an interest in Latin dancing, not for fun but to survive, causing turmoil with her family,” the synopsis continues.
Behind the scenes of “Ariel Back to Buenos Aires,” available to stream on Apple TV, AmazonPrime, and HBO Max, Alison Fairweather Murray teams up with Jennifer Weiss, the film’s producer, including Sarah Polley (“Away from Her”), Brian De Palma (“Reduced”), Atom Egoyan (“Adoration”) and most recently, Molly McGlynn (“Fit In”).
“‘Cha Cha Cha’ captivated us with its lighthearted, authentic and sincere tone. It tackles important universal themes in society with humor, and we believe this is the kind of story that audiences around the world need right now,” said Ferdinando Dona, head of content and co-production at Beta, which partners with Series Mania Institute on series maker.
(LR) Alison Fairweather Murray, Jennifer Weiss
