Globo launches the supernatural thriller ‘Unsoul’ at MIPCOM 2019
From the same director of ‘Aruanas’ and ‘If I Close My Eyes Now’, the series had over 30 shooting sets in the South of Brazil
10-10-2019
Three women scarred by transformations and losses – some of them irreparable – who are involved in a mystery that has haunted the small town of Brigida for thirty years. Brigida is a community with Ukrainian colonization in the countryside of Brazil and the background of ‘Unsoul’. The original series by Globoplay, the OTT platform of Globo, has 10 episodes and was developed by Globo Studios. It will be presented at MIPCOM 2019.
Written by Ana Paula Maia, who is signing her first audiovisual work, with artistic direction by Carlos Manga Jr., ‘Unsoul’ portrays the supernatural universe, which is a success among short format fans. In Brigida, the sons of Ukrainian immigrants keep their ancestors’ culture alive, including the original folklore and mysticism of Eastern Europe. In order to recreate this atmosphere, the series used locations in Rio de Janeiro and other 36 shooting sets in the Southern region of Brazil. An estate with 300 thousand square meters, for example, was the scenario for big scenes in the forest, cliffs, lakes and ruins, intensifying the somber atmosphere.
The thriller happens in two parallel timelines. Thirty years separate the story marked by a dramatic event, the disappearing of young Halyna, during the traditional party of Ivana Kupala. After that, the celebration was forbidden on the town’s calendar. But when the city prepares to recover this tradition and bring back the party, puzzling events start haunting the community.
Meanwhile, Giovana (Maria Ribeiro, from ‘Empire’) moves to Brigida with her two daughters in search for answers to her husband’s mysterious death. She is welcomed by her husband’s cousin, Ignez (Claudia Abreu, from ‘Sparkling Girls’), and witnesses some mysterious things involving Ignez’s son, who suddenly starts displaying a strange behavior. The plot is also marked by the mystical rituals of soul transmigration performed by Haia (Cássia Kis, from ‘Second Son’ and ‘Rules of the Game’), a mysterious witch who is trying to trick death. The question hangs in the air: what has been the mystery of this town for the past 30 years, and what is the relationship between this mystery and the supernatural events that are happening in the present?
Developed by the Globo Studios, ‘Unsoul’ has artistic direction by Carlos Manga Jr., from ‘Aruanas’ and ‘If I Close My Eyes Now’, which was nominated to the 2019 International Emmy Awards in the category “Outstanding Limited Series”.
“It is a story about metaphysical issues, but they only happen due to a human drama. It is not just horror”, explains Manga, who took over the series production with a very careful aesthetic look to build the atmosphere. “We want the audience to imagine things themselves. For the direction, we created atmospheres that awaken the imagination. You do not see things, but you have the feeling. I like to call it “suggestive direction”: a closed door that, on the next scene, appears open; a camera that slowly approaches an environment where nothing happens”, he adds.
MIPCOM Catalog 2019
In this edition of MIPCOM, Globo has a strong catalog of original series, with recently launched successes and short formats that were not yet released worldwide. Besides ‘Unsoul’, the series ‘Where My Heart Is’ and ‘Second Call’ – a co-production with O2 Filmes – are also part of the catalog. This year’s catalog brings season three of ‘Under Pressure’, a series whose previous seasons were launched in over 70 countries, and season two of ‘Iron Island’. The highlight this year is the environmental thriller ‘Aruanas’, the result of a partnership between Globo and Maria Farinha Filmes. The series was launched in July, through a brand-new distribution model for Globo, in over 150 countries, using a digital platform. And, now, it is available for licensing in the market. The trailers and episodes of these series and other Globo products available in the international market can be accessed at www.globo.com/screening.
Globo Series Screening: 2020
The design and distribution case of ‘Aruanas’ and new series by Globo will be the theme of the ‘Globo Series Screening: 2020’.
Date: October 15th
Time: 10:30 A.M.
Place: Auditorium K