New teen TV show portrays a year of understanding and education

HAVANA, Cuba, Jun 7 (ACN) Filmmaker Magda Gonzalez Grau finished the recording of the 13-episode series Calendario, an approach to the conflicts of adolescents and young people and their relationship with formative actors such as the school.

The production comes after her popular film Por qué lloran mis amigas, and although it is not the first time that González Grau has worked on a drama series, Calendario marks her debut in the genre as a director.

“The idea for the series came up in a meeting where I and writer Amilcar Salatti were listening to young people speak about their teachers and felt concern. So we decided to do it," she said. “He (…) is a very honest writer and knows how to work with others, something rare among our scriptwriters.

“When it comes to drama, the solutions cannot be recipes, because viewers refuse to be told what to do or how to behave. But at the same time, leaving conflicts unresolved is a ´crime against dramaturgy´, so we chose to expose real conflicts and develop them until you can predict their possible outcome. We hope that the viewers will also have a say in the endings based on their own conclusions,” she added.

As to the target audience, she pointed out that, although it is a teen show that should air in the afternoon, it would be a shame for adults to miss it, as the plot could be of interest to the whole family.

Actress Clarita García plays the leading role of Calendario as Amalia, a young teacher at odds with a group of high school students. She had been a child with behavioral problems, and thanks to her teacher's perseverance, she was "rescued". In gratitude, she became a teacher herself and went to work in her same old school to try and cope with conflicts similar to those of her past life.

The recording process took place in the middle of the fight against, and with a lot of fear of, the COVID-19 pandemic, according to González Grau, who holds that she found it hard to simulate a society without face masks given that she did not want to portray the story with the virus in the background.

“Everything has been complicated, but fortunately I have a super team that has managed to overcome all obstacles,” she remarked. “I think the series can entertain and at the same time give young people and adults alike some food for thought as the characters deal with ethical conflicts where the will to be better as human beings plays a key role. I hope the series will make the audience feel the same way,” concluded González Grau.