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If Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Ross, Chandler, and the rest of the cast on the iconic American sit com Friends were 10 years younger, had a social conscience, tackled tough issues, lived in a poor Central American country and spoke in Spanish, the result would likely be Sexto Sentido.
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Self-dubbed a "social soap opera" by its makers, Sexto Sentido targets Nicaraguans ages 13-24 with a universal youth rallying cry: Take control of your life. This means breaking taboos, questioning stereotypes, communicating, seeking support networks and problem solving individually and collectively - all of which the show does and encourages its viewers to do by addressing such complex issues as sexual orientation, rape, abortion and domestic violence in the context of a predominantly Catholic country that is the second poorest in the hemisphere, according to Amy Bank, the show's co-creator and story and script editor.
One episode plus excerpts of several other episodes of Nicaragua's own local No. 1 hit dramatic TV series, are accompanied by Novela, Novela, a 30-minute documentary about the making of Sexto Sentido: and how such a groundbreaking series made it to the air in a country with an almost non-existent TV industry. The market in Nicaragua is so miniscule that no commercial producer would ever consider attempting a program like Sexto Sentido. The documentary also focuses how the program has evolved, and how Nicaraguan audiences have responded to its often controversial content.
"For most Nicaraguans, television is their main window to the world," Bank explained. "This is especially true for poor, young people with limited mobility and access to other types of information. Sexto Sentido is the only Nicaraguan-produced series of this type on the air, not only making it, for many adolescents, the sole source of information about these themes from a Nicaraguan point of view, but also promoting a sense of identification with the characters and their situations."
Bank joins Nicaraguan Virginia Lacayo, the show's 28-year-old co-executive producer, in creating a weekly, half-hour-long Latin soap that "follows the daily lives of a group of teens and young adults as they confront complex situations in a realistic, entertaining and touching manner." The two women are co-directors of Puntos de Encuentro, a feminist, non-profit organization based in Nicaragua that works for people-centered sustainable development based on the principles of diversity with equal rights and opportunities. They structured their series with, as Bank puts it, "long, narrative arcs to allow complex and multi-dimensional themes to be explored over time, without having to use up' any one theme in a single episode."
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While the series has a distinctive Nicaraguan flavor, Lacayo explained that it has the look and feel of the popular Brazilian and Colombian soap operas, leading many to praise Sexto Sentido for its high production value. The show is No. 1 in its time slot, with 70 percent of the entire potential TV viewing audience watching. Eighty percent of Nicaraguan 13 to 17 year olds tune in regularly, and many say the show has made them think or reflect on one or more issues dealt with in the series, according to Bank. |
"The show is Dawson's Creek meets Friends meets Brazilian soap opera," Bank said. Lacayo added, "The last thing we want is for people to think of it as an 'educational program,' although of course the whole point is to get a point across. But we want to do this in a light, youth-appealing way as part of an overall strategy to promote young people's rights. And we decided to tackle 'controversial' issues such as homosexuality, domestic violence, substance abuse and abortion in a way that would promote dialogue rather than increase polarization."
Of the film's treatment of homosexuality, Lacayo explained that while there are gay characters in some Latin TV series and soap operas, generally they're very stereotyped characters who play a comic relief role. And since none of those other shows is made in Nicaragua, it doesn't really hit home for Nicaraguan audiences. Having a main character who's gay [Angel], and later a lesbian character [Vicky], in Sexto Sentido has several different levels of impact: for gay men and lesbians, it's been totally reaffirming just to see themselves on the screen, even if they aren't out yet; and for straight audiences, it helps demystify gay life and gay people.
| We don't expect to reverse deep-seated homophobia in one TV season, nor do we expect everyone to love and accept gay characters, Lacayo continued, but we know for a fact that even the most homophobic folks in our audience don't turn off their TV or change the channel just because there's a gay or lesbian character. |  |
Even if they don't like Angel or Vicky, they keep watching the show, and we're convinced that little by little, if they still don't like them or accept them, they will at least come to accept that gay people exist, that they have a right to live and be in the world, and they will probably be just a little less scared and weirded out if in their daily life they come into contact with someone who they then find out is gay.
Novela, Novela, the documentary about the making of Sexto Sentido looks at how homophobia, gay identity and violence against women are addressed and explores the impact the program has had on audiences, as well as the young actors and screenwriters involved in the production, according to director Liz Miller. The video explores the complex decisions regarding the representation of Angel, the gay character, and how the development of the gay characters evolved from an ongoing exchange between viewers and the producers.
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Footage includes Ibo, who plays Angel, describing what it was like to represent the first gay character in Nicaragua and the obstacles and challenges he has faced. In addition, by following the story of domestic violence, viewers get to see how the Sexto Sentido is connecting to the one of the largest grassroots movements in the country, the women's network against violence. Ana Sofia, who plays Elena, describes in the documentary how her own battle against domestic violence has affected her role in the program. |
"Sexto Sentido has achieved what 'reality television' or most soap operas can only imagine depth and authenticity," Miller explained. "Through the documentary, the actors reveal themselves as passionate, down-to-earth young people who bring their own lives, inspirations and passions into play.
In fact, Miller added, unlike actors in the U.S., the lives of the actors in Sexto Sentido are not far off from the lives of the characters they represent in the program. What's more, Miller said, "with the budget of one episode of Friends, Sexto Sentido could produce 432 episodes over the next 18 years."
- Lisa
Palley
Palley Promotes, Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
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