MGE Media Boards Chile’s ‘La Pérgola de las Flores’ From ‘Allende, the Thousand Days’ Producer Parox (EXCLUSIVE)
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Miami-based MGE Media has scooped up international distribution rights to Katherina Harder’s feature debut, “La Pérgola de las Flores,” produced by Parox, the Chilean producer of mini-series “Allende, The Thousand Days” (“Los mil días de Allende”), which is nominated for three Premios Platino.
The prestigious Ibero-American awards event takes place April 20 in Cancun, Mexico where “Allende…” has been nominated for best series, best actor for Alfredo Castro, who plays the doomed socialist president Salvador Allende, and best actress for Aline Kuppenheim.
Written by Parox producer and showrunner Leonora González and Catalina Calcagni, “La Pérgola de las Flores” is an adaptation of the wildly popular 1960 stage musical that has enthralled three generations in Chile. “Even our grandparents know the lyrics by heart, it’s our ‘Westside Story,’” said Parox producer Sergio Gandara who will be attending the Premios Platino along with Kuppenheim and González, who also created and showran “Allende…”.
Set in the 1930s, “La Pérgola de las flores” is a love triangle set against the struggle by flower stall owners against authorities and their plans to remove their stands along Santiago de Chile’s Alameda Avenue.
Parox plans to make both a three-part miniseries as well as a movie adaptation of “Pérgola…”. “Given the uncertainty in our industry, we think it’s prudent to maximize our opportunities,” said Gandara who noted that this is the first time they are doing this and conversely, may cut a movie out of the “Allende…” mini-series as well.
As in most countries worldwide, Chile’s theatrical box office is down, estimated by as much as 40% and historically, most Chilean films have not done well in local cinemas. Most recently, Maite Alberdi’s Oscar-nominated documentary, “The Eternal Memory,” lured more than 360,000 admissions, which is considered high in Chile.
“The scripts for ‘La Pérgola…’ are written, casting is underway and we hope to start shooting between October and December this year,” Gandara told Variety.
The four-part “Allende, The Thousand Days” aired on Chile’s TVN where it was the highest rated program on the Thursdays it aired. It has also shown on Spain’s TVE 2, France’s Orange and will soon air in Belgium. Onza Distribution picked up sales distribution rights to it last September. Talks are ongoing with various streaming platforms, said Gandara.
“Allende, the Thousand Days” debuted on TVN Sept. 7 last year to mark Allende’s 50th death anniversary and the military coup that kickstarted general Augusto Pinochet’s murderous regime.
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