The new soap opera “Dona Beja” arrived on the HBO Max platform with the aim of going beyond entertainment. THE CNNpart of the cast said they hope to provoke urgent reflections on representation, race and gender in Brazilian audiovisual.
the production focuses on black protagonism and complex female characters, capable of tensioning stereotypes and expanding social debate.
To André Luiz Mirandawho plays one of the actors with a central role in the story, the choice of two black actors as protagonists is, in itself, a political and symbolic gesture.
“Having two black actors as the protagonists of this soap opera, I think that in addition to generating a conversation, a debate in our audiovisual, it will also make our people see their place of protagonism, their place of beauty. And I think that this is what our representation will provoke people.” According to the actor, visibility in central roles contributes to making new narratives possible and for black audiences to recognize themselves in historically denied places.
Thank you Massaferathe great interpreter of Dona Beja, also highlighted the provocative potential of the work, especially in stimulating study and reflection.
“I really wanted people to research, find out, I hope the soap opera provokes everyone to study more about gender, race, their own color.” The actress also highlights that the research process was fundamental to the construction of the character. “It gave me the power to get to Beja.”
David Junior related the dramaturgical construction of “Dona Beja” to historical and cultural experiences that span generations.
“I remember my father saying something like ‘Lock up your goats because my goat is loose’. So, growing up with this spatial understanding of dominance is very natural for people who are men. Transcending this place, I think is our goal.”
he also reinforced that the strength of “Dona Beja” lies precisely in the complexity of its characters and the impact this can have on the public.
“The layers of our characters will make people on the other side think about their prejudices, their fears, those things that are inside them that they don’t have the courage to verbalize and perhaps a character may be verbalizing, because it is a period soap opera that is bringing a lot of current themes.”
The HBO Max narrative explores empowerment, desire and revenge, reliving the trajectory of the courtesan, Ana Jacinta – known as Dona Beja — who defied conventions in Araxá.
The cast is made up of Grazi Massafera, David Junior, André Luiz Miranda, Pedro Fasanaro, Bianca Bin, Deborah Evelyn, Indira Nascimento, Bukassa Kabengele, Otavio Muller, Isabela Garcia, Erika Januza, Tuca Andrada, Kelzy Ecard, Werner Schunemann, Thalma de Freitas, Gabriel Godoy, Ricardo Burgos, Catharina Caiado, Lucas Wickhaus, Luciano Quirino, João Villa, Rita Pereira, Simone Mazzer, Isabelle Nassar, Nikolas Antunes, Eduardo Pelizzari, Arilson Lucas, Paulo Mendes and Miguel Rômulobetween others.
