Dani de La Torre on Capturing the Spanish Criminal Underbelly in Blood-Pumping Series ‘Marbella’: ‘The Mafia Turned Marbella Into Their Headquarters’
When director Dani de la Torre (“La Unidad,” “Gun City”) read a news article detailing how the Spanish coastal town of Marbella became the playing ground for hundreds of international criminal organizations, he knew he had a new show on his hands. His “La Unidad” producing partners agreed and thus became Movistar Plus+ original series “Marbella,” premiering in Spain on May 2, to large media impact.
During a preview of the show at the Berlinale Series Market de la Torre remarked how the underbelly of Marbella was “unknown” in Spain when he first read an in-depth investigation into the criminal activities in the Málaga province. “More than 132 different gangs call Marbella their home turf and have their headquarters there. This was a novelty I was immediately attracted to.”
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“Every day, news stories are coming out about the Marbella gangs, but these organizations have so much money that it makes it very difficult for the police to properly fight against them. What you have now is a special ecosystem in Marbella, with non-stop parties and bottles of whisky costing two thousand euros… The mafia turned the whole of Marbella into their headquarters.”
De la Torre found his way into the story when he met a pompous lawyer during one of his research visits to the coastal town. The real-life attorney inspired “Marbella’s” main character, César (Hugo Silva), an ambitious counsel dangerously threading the lines between his professional responsibilities and the illicit activities that heavily line up his pockets.
The “Paco’s Men” actor said he had also read the news article about Marbella and felt just as curious about the area. “It is an extraordinary experience to see this small place on the coast where there is this mind-boggling amount of money, and the real-life template for my character was just as extraordinary.”
“The man behind my role leads a difficult life and lives in an accelerated rhythm with lots of threats and fear involved. He once told me his therapist said he is addicted to the adrenaline linked to the lifestyle. He needs this push, this anxiety.”
This accelerated lifestyle lends itself to “Marbella’s” many blood-pumping action sequences, where luxury cars cut through asphalt on their way to the safety of the gangsters’ ironclad mansions. “When you’re driving through Marbella,” Silva added, “all publicity signs are of houses being sold and lawyers, which tells you a lot about the surreal situation over there. This offered a great opportunity to work on a large-scale production with a lot of luxury, a lot of action and a lot of power. We channel Marbella’s luxury lifestyle into the series.
Movistar Plus+’s Fran Araújo, the series executive producer, stated that while there are several shows about the underworld of crime, “Marbella” feels unique precisely because it is told through the point of view of a counsel split between his duties and the rivers of money offered by gangsters keen to avoid jail time. “We wanted to continue working with Dani, of course, but also to do something different. The show is funny and incredibly entertaining, going higher and higher with every episode.”
De la Torre emphasized how valuable it was to have a close insight into the world of “Marbella” to create a show that is not only entertaining but also faithful in its depiction of a very particular scene.
“Getting to meet the gangs, there was a bit of apprehension because every once in a while dead bodies would show up in the sea and we didn’t want to be a part of it, but we quickly realised a new world opened up to us because everyone was keen to tell us their stories. The police wanted to keep a lower profile but also confided in us about how frustrating it is not to have the means to combat the mafia.”
“There are few killings in Marbella because it’s bad for business. It’s not like Mexico or the U.S. There is no place like it in Spain or elsewhere. It amounted to a fascinating story to make a series about.”
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