PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: PALEYFEST FALL PREVIEWS 2017: UNIVISION: EL CHAPO {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of seminars presented as part of The Paley Center for Media's 2017 Fall Preview PALEYFEST events in Los Angeles. This evening celebrates "El Chapo," the dramatic historical series about the chaotic life of famed Mexican drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.
Host Rene Reyes (executive in charge of production, The Paley Center for Media) offers opening remarks -- in both Spanish and English -- and introduces a series of clips recapping the events of the first season, followed by the second season premiere, which is then screened in its entirety. (For synopsis and credits, see ACCNUM 130988.)
After the screening, Yarel Ramos (television host and journal, Univision) moderates the following panelists: Camila Jimenez Villa (co-president, Fusion Media); executive producer Daniel Posada; and cast members Humberto Busto (Conrado Higuera "Don Sol" Sol) and Marco de la O (Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán).
The panelists touch on such topics as: the recent popularity of the "narco theme"; their sense of social responsibility in telling accurate cultural stories; Busto's dissimilarities to his "mathematic" character and reading an "encyclopedia of megalomaniacs" for research; shocked reactions to the show's extreme events from foreign viewers; de la O's views on the show's depiction of the Mexican government's harmful actions against its people; how the show reflects the darkness of the real world and allows viewers to "reconnect with our own idea of ambition"; El Chapo's dual roles as criminal and loving family man; his lack of remorse and why the audience will grow to "hate" him this season; the significance of the 2000 Mexican general election, in which the Industrial Revolutionary Party experienced a surprising loss; upcoming "intimate" revelations about Don Sol; why the show does not apologize for or "glamorize" criminals, but instead seeks to educate viewers about avoiding those choices; the importance of viewing the story, particularly the ending, as a whole; Busto's confidence that he would not want to enter politics in reality; what the actors have learned about manipulation and the "weaknesses" of others; plans for upcoming historical series similar to "El Chapo"; and why the main character is not a villain or a hero, but a real human who has made many good and bad choices.
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics, among others: whether de la O had reservations about portraying the dangerous real-life figure, who "for sure" does not watch the series from his maximum-security prison; de la O's rapid weight gain and loss for the series; how his real-life role as a father informs his portrayal of Guzmán's relationship with his daughter; gaining political and historical knowledge through their work on the show; the second season's depiction of the simultaneous ascents of both Don Sol and El Chapo; the series as "a movie in three acts"; and how the effect of the cartel wars on the Mexican people will influence the audience's perception of the main characters.
(This interview features several sections of unsubtitled Spanish.)
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: November 30, 1999 6:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: N/A
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 130398
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Rene Reyes … Host
- Yarel Ramos … Moderator
- Humberto Busto … Panelist
- Marco de la O … Panelist
- Camila Jimenez Villa … Panelist
- Daniel Posada … Panelist