Princess Latifa Series In The Works From Netflix’s ‘Winter Palace’ Scribe

Max Goldbart
·2 min read

EXCLUSIVE: A TV drama about Princess Latifa of Dubai, who attempted to escape her life in the Emirates only to be forcibly returned, is in the works from Netflix’s Winter Palace scribe Lindsay Shapero.

Finland’s Yellow Film & TV is developing The Escape, which tells of Latifa’s relationship with her friend Tiina Jauhianen, a Finnish national.

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Latifa attempted a daring escape in 2018 involving being hidden in the tyre compartment of a car and a jet-ski ride across the Gulf of Oman but she was forcibly returned to Dubai via a joint Indian-Emirati operation. Latifa and Jauhianen were kidnapped, imprisoned, and interrogated, with Jauhianen eventually deported from the UAE, and Latifa kept a prisoner in her own country. Following a sustained international campaign, Lafita was found several years later outside of Dubai and a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said she had met her and she was well and wished for privacy.

Shapero is the writer of upcoming Netflix period drama Winter Palace, which is co-produced with a Swiss broadcaster. Past credits include the BAFTA-nominated Enid, a BBC drama featuring Helena Bonham Carter as Enid Blyton, and Judi Dench-starrer Red Joan.

“This is a powerful story about human rights and the freedom that we all want in our lives,” said Shapero. “But what is most appealing is that it’s about two female friends who will go to the wire for each other. I feel very privileged to be writing such an important and emotive series.”

Yellow Film & TV will roll cameras around this time next year. Executive producers will be Jackie Larkin and Olli Haikka.  Earlier this week, Yellow’s Dublin studio Newgrange signed a business affairs and development boss.

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