Although with only three originals to his credit it is difficult to still speak of a trend, we can see that to a greater or lesser extent both ‘Doctor Portuondo’ and ‘Autodefensa’ and ‘Selftape’, which Filmin premieres this Tuesday, have a certain semi-autobiographical component. Or, at least, they arise from the experiences of their creators.
In the case of the series of sisters Joana and Mireia Vilapuig (mostly known as ‘Red Bracelets’), we find ourselves practically with a family therapy. A strange healing of a complex relationship between the two sisters, both actresses, and how their respective careers with their successes and failures have shaped (and in certain cases deteriorated) their relationship.
In fact, although there is a lot of fiction in the footage (six episodes of thirty minutes each), the Vilapuig sisters season the story of their alter egos with a huge amount of archival material: from home videos recorded when they were little to promotional interviews, casting calls and their own selftapes.
Therapy between reality and fiction
A layer of metafiction that, somehow, further dilutes the barrier between what is true and what is not. I recognize that, especially at the beginning, this can be a certain barrier to entry because can be understood as a self-tribute more than as a way of communicating, of expressing oneself.
However, once you get past this barrier to entry, this use takes on its meaning as a narrative resource. No longer as a comparison of times of innocence in which one is in a cloud as opposed to a certain melancholy of the present, but also to highlight the theme of certain episodes. Sometimes, yes, I think that it is a little obvious to be a series that in many cases talks about conversations not had.
The series is built like this, looking to the past as a touch of reflection, in which this reunion between the characters of Joana and Mireia takes place with so much pending conversation between them and little desire to talk about what they are considering, especially the first, their future in the field of acting.
Missing the shot
As a semi-autobiographical series, ‘Selftape’ can fall a bit “into the usual” in these forks, meetings and disagreements between the two sisters. Its greatest asset is its own personality and its commitment to put the real Joana and Mireia on the front page despite the fact that, in my opinion, fails just at the time of closing the last episode.
It’s not his only moot decision. I think there are certain subplots (for example, the erotic video or the consequences of the birthday) that appear as soon as they disappear when perhaps they would have deserved a little more travel. But, after all, six episodes give what they give. It is also true that like archive clips, the direction of Barbara FarreLook for some agility.
In short, ‘Selftape’ is an engaging exercise in sister therapy written with enough delicacy and tenderness in what present and past converge. Once again, a Filmin original that I don’t think will leave anyone indifferent.
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