Netflix debuted the first episode of One Hundred Years of Solitude during a special screening in Brussels at the Royal Library of Belgium this week. Directed by Laura Mora and Alex García López, this is one of the most ambitious productions in Latin American history, premiering on Netflix on December 11th.
Audience in Brussels had a chance to see the preview of this stunning production that includes some of the iconic moments that have captivated readers of the novel for over 50 years came to life on screen: the founding of Macondo and the arrival of Melquíades, the tensions of family life, the passions of the town’s inhabitants, the emergence of political conflicts and the ensuing war, and the chestnut tree where José Arcadio Buendía fulfills the prophecy of his solitude, unleashing a rain of yellow flowers.
The preview was followed by the feature of selected behind the scene moments, as well as an exchange with Irene Blecua, editor, Álex García, one of the directors and Hector Feliciano from the Fundación Gabo that was partner on this event.
Visitors also had an opportunity to see some of the pieces of the handcrafted wardrobe which we will also be hosted in the Netflix offices in Brussels this week. The costumes and makeup immerse the viewer in each moment of the story and guide them through time. For context, around 40,000 garments were made to dress a cast of more than 100 people.
With eight episodes, the first part of One Hundred Years of Solitude is one of the most ambitious projects in Latin American history. The series was entirely filmed in Colombia with the support of the Nobel laureate’s family. Very soon, the audiences will be able to witness the on-screen adaptation of this literary classic, premiering on Netflix on December 11.
What to expect?
Married against their parents’ wishes, cousins José Arcadio Buendía and Úrsula Iguarán leave their village behind and embark on a long journey in search of a new home. Accompanied by friends and adventurers, their journey culminates with the founding of a utopian town on the banks of a river of prehistoric stones that they baptize Macondo. Several generations of the Buendía lineage will mark the future of this mythical town, tormented by madness, impossible loves, a bloody and absurd war, and the fear of a terrible curse that condemns them, without hope, to one hundred years of solitude.
Published in 1967, One Hundred Years of Solitude is one of the emblematic works of Gabriel García Márquez, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982. Considered a masterpiece of Spanish-American and universal literature and receiving enormous popular acclaim, it has sold more than 50 million copies and has been translated into more than 40 languages.
The cast, bringing to life the iconic characters of the Buendía family and the inhabitants of Macondo, is predominantly Colombian. It includes Marco Antonio González (young José Arcadio Buendía), Diego Vásquez (adult José Arcadio Buendía), Susana Morales (young Úrsula Iguarán), Marleyda Soto (adult Úrsula Iguarán), Moreno Borja (Melquíades), Claudio Cataño (Aureliano Buendía), Viña Machado (Pilar Ternera), Andrius Leonardo Soto (young José Arcadio), Edgar Vittorino (adult José Arcadio), Loren Sofía Paz (elder Amaranta Buendía), Akima (Rebeca Buendía), Janer Villareal (Arcadio Buendía), Ruggero Pasquarelli (Pietro Crespi), Jairo Camargo (Apolinar Moscote), Jacqueline Arenal (Leonor Moscote), Ella Becerra (Petronila), Cristal Aparicio (Remedios Moscote), Rafael Zea (Alirio Noguera), Salvador del Solar (General Moncada), Álvaro García (Father Nicanor), Jerónimo Barón (young Aureliano Buendía), among others.
