I’m flying to London later this week to catch up with a dozen Netflix EMEA execs under the guiding hand of their fearless, progressive leader Oli Rawlins.
Their international business is on fire – with amazing local content being created, and shared at an incredible pace.
Here are a few highlights that I’ve enjoyed – apart from the obvious Casa de Papal (Spain), Fauda (Israel), Lupin (France), Army of Thieves (Germany) and The Chestnut Man (Denmark):
- Black Space (Israeli) – The charismatic Guri Alfi plays a rogue detective investigating a massacre in an Israel high school. Unfortunately very current – a 10 part series. Gripping.
- Glória (Portugal) – I watched this when I was in Lisbon and Porto a couple of weeks ago. Spies, lies and secrets in atmospheric Portugal in 1968 – The Cold War.
- The Defeated (Germany) – My sister Trisha put me on to this series. 1946 Berlin – a ragtag band of good people try to reimpose law and morality to a traumatised post-war Berlin.
- Ganglands (France) – Urban French drama – drugs, violence, family, very Moroccan flavour. Terrific cast – Sami Bouajila as Mehdi is magnetic.
And, not to forget the USA, my current airplane escapism – Cowboy Bebop. What can I say? Mad, funny, mad, great cinematography, mad, great music, mad, no cowboys – cowboys are slang for space age bounty hunters. Mad. Pure escapism.
KR
