The latest work by prominent Chilean directors Maite Alberdi and Cristián Leighton, ‘Life is a Dream’, premiered internationally on Netflix this Thursday.
The Surreal Films production, which unites the filmmakers for the first time, reflects the endearing dreams and fantasies of older people.
The protagonists not only confess to various topics, but some of them also represent each of these desires, resulting in an inspiring series, with a great sense of humor and special emotion.
Regarding “Life is a Dream”, Cristián Leighton and Maite Alberdi highlight that “we wanted to formulate a change of outlook towards older people in Chile and in the same way innovate in the way in which this content is delivered, with a different, playful and We would even say rebel, which contains elements of cinema, theater and television.”
About this series that managed to captivate Netflix, Alberdi points out that “it is an achievement to be able to generate original content and conceive formats that later expand beyond our borders.” For his part, Leighton emphasizes that “we take risks from the beginning, in the creative process and bringing the idea we had in our heads to reality,” while Alberdi adds that “it is very exciting to reach diverse audiences, where ultimately everyone “They can feel touched by the theme and the way it is presented.”
Along these lines, they add that the production is completely removed from the stigmas with which older people are usually viewed, since the emphasis in the series is on the “here and now.” Likewise, the filmmakers emphasize that “it is not a program about the past, nor do we fall prey to nostalgia, but rather about how the elderly live today, and where allowing themselves to dream of the future is the daily and fundamental task that keeps them active.”
On the other hand, Leighton confesses that the entire team was surprised by how receptive they were and their ability to adapt to the pace of work during the recordings. “Old age is for the brave, some say, and the series is proof of this, they were very flexible, showing that they have tools to face the new, perhaps much more than a young person, and we were also struck by their determination to speak without they cover all topics, since they are people with the ability to express and share their emotions; All of this is seen in the series that reflects the honesty of our protagonists,” declares Cristián Leighton.
As its directors have pointed out, in ‘Life is a Dream’ everything is possible, because in this documentary the participants risk representing those dreams that they were never able to fulfill or live, exhibiting in its six episodes themes such as love, hobbies, the body, family, death and work.
Creation and its arrival on Netflix
The idea for ‘Life is a Dream’ comes from producer Daniela Bunster of Surreal Films, who set out to bring together the prominent directors Maite Alberdi and Cristián Leighton.
“It has been a very enriching experience, it is the first time we have worked together; We are different generations and it is fascinating to get together and be able to bring these stories to life,” says Cristián Leighton.
Regarding its arrival on Netflix, the director highlights that although it is the second Surreal Films series to reach the most popular streaming service (the first was Colonia Dignidad in co-production with Germany), it is now a production made entirely in Chile and spread internationally.
Furthermore, he emphasizes that “it is very important, because it is a series promoted by CNTV, in co-production with TVN and that finally reaches Netflix. It is an achievement for our industry to create original content and reach this platform that has opened a significant window to documentaries, a genre that continues to be a way of addressing realities that deeply reaches audiences. We need the State to support more and more a creative industry such as cinema and audiovisuals, which generate work and project the country’s image with the tremendous reach that this industry has.”
Finally, he points out that being on Netflix allows the audience to watch all the episodes without interruptions, with a much broader perspective to be able to enjoy and analyze the content carefully.
