As a cinephile with over three decades of film-watching under my belt, I must say that the 12 minutes of “When Nobody Sees Us” left me breathless and eager for more. The scenes were reminiscent of the golden age of cinema, where every frame was meticulously crafted to tell a compelling story.
Initially, HBO presented itself as being distinct from regular television. As I watched the opening 12 minutes of Enrique Urbizu’s crime thriller “When Nobody Sees Us,” which marked Max’s first original Spanish production shown at the San Sebastián Festival on Monday, I found myself recalling the famous HBO slogan.
Rather than TV, the scenes are pure cinema of the highest order.
In these instances, a man dressed in a formal white robe bows down, takes a sword, and deliberately plunges it into his own stomach, performing the act of seppuku (Japanese for hari-kari).
On the first day of Holy Week, a float filled with local virgins glides along a road lined with whitewashed houses in Morón de la Frontera, Andalusia, southern Spain. When it halts, a young man steps out from the densely packed crowd of penitents who had been carrying it. Once outside, he seems to hallucinate that the other black-hooded penitents and the float itself rise up into the sky. Overwhelmed by this vision, he falls to the ground, his eyes bleeding.
As I step off the plane at the U.S. Army Air Force base, I, a military police lieutenant in the U.S. army, straighten my uniform and prepare for duty. Meanwhile, Lucía Gutiérrez, a Spanish Civil Guard colonel, bids farewell to her mother and daughter before joining us. However, her arrival is delayed as she’s called away to investigate the body of a suicide victim.
“What a f***** up way to kill yourself,” says her assistant.
“Isn’t there any way that isn’t?” Gutiérrez replies tartly.
The series titled ‘When Nobody Sees Us’ is developed by Zeta Studios from Spain, who are also known for creating the popular show ‘Elite,’ and it’s brought to you by Warner Bros. Discovery.
The shots are meticulously captured in the signature style of Urbizu, the director of the contemporary film noir “No Rest for the Wicked,” which was awarded the 2012 Spanish Academy Goya for Best Picture. Notably, Urbizu also oversaw the production of “Libertad,” a blend of Western and daily survival drama series.
“When Nobody Sees Us” looks like a full-on procedural thriller.
In June 2023, it was revealed that Castillo was assigned to locate a missing U.S. soldier, according to a summary unveiled with the announcement of the eight-episode series.
It seems that a suicide is associated with Colonel Douglas Hoopen’s questionable business dealings at the Air Force Base, as well as suspicious activities by Lieutenant Andrew Taylor, a marine. As they delve deeper into their investigations, the two women uncover links between the cases, revealing a tangled web involving Morón’s townsfolk and personnel from the U.S. Base, as suggested in the synopsis.
The series titled “When Nobody’s Watching” features Maribel Verdú from “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “The Flash,” as well as Mariela Garriga known for “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning II.” Additionally, it includes American actors Austin Amelio of “The Walking Dead” and Ben Temple of “30 Coins,” along with Spain’s Dani Rovira from “Spanish Affair.
As a film enthusiast, I couldn’t help but be captivated by the meticulously framed shots at San Sebastián. The crowd scenes during the procession were brimming with intricate details that hinted at a substantial production budget. One moment that stood out was a surprising close-up shot from within the box, where penitents were seen moving the statue of the Virgin overhead. Handheld, spontaneous camera work was scarce, adding to the cinematic elegance. The exteriors were bathed in the radiant light of Andalusia, contrasting beautifully against a crystal-clear sky.
Urbizu commented that the show is beautifully illuminated by the southern Spanish light. We were fortunate to film it during Spring when the landscape remained vibrant and verdant. Although the crimes portrayed in the series can be quite grim, the daytime exterior shots give the production a clear, fresh feel,” said Urbizu.
He anticipates that viewers will initially become engaged with the series through its principal characters, as the suspense intensifies, and the overall tone becomes increasingly somber.
The 12-minute clip was heartily praised at San Sebastián, as it depicts both Castillo and Gutiérrez donning their uniforms. In the town’s parades, it is common to see many individuals in uniforms, Urbizu noted.
Morón de la Frontera, a relatively unknown region in Andalusia, served as the backdrop for this series. The intention behind its creation was to introduce it to viewers, as explained. The processions, filmed at a rate of one day of Holy Week per episode, are experienced with a profound respect for tradition.
The joint U.S.-Spain base functions as a unique, blurred global space. Distinguishing between American and Spanish structures can be challenging. Similarly, much like the organized parades, this world operates under strict regulations.
In a case involving a transnational sorority and crime, Castillo and Gutiérrez form a powerful partnership, leading to an inevitable collision of their worlds as they delve deep into the investigation together.
The series has moved into its post-production phase. Enrique Urbizu has crafted a unique universe that only a master of suspenseful storytelling could build, where two distinct, even contrasting, realms coexist harmoniously, operating in perfect synchronization,” explained Alberto Carullo, VP of Max, local original production for Iberia and Italy.
Maribel Verdú and Mariela Garriga portray two characters – one Spanish, one American – who have starkly different backgrounds yet share an instant connection. This marks our inaugural Spanish series on Max, and we couldn’t be more thrilled about it.
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2024-09-23 13:47