Netflix's 'The Eternaut' echoes fight against tyranny: actor Ricardo Darin
Based on a 1950s comic with iconic status in the South American country, the sci-fi series tells the story of a mysterious, toxic snowfall that precedes an alien invasion of Buenos Aires.
More elementally, it is about ordinary people with few resources and no special powers who collectively stare down a totalitarian threat, Darin, 68, told AFP in an interview.
"The communities that managed to survive were those that stood shoulder to shoulder, defended themselves, and did not care only about what happened to them individually," he said of the storyline.
In this way, the series "resonates" with the present, said Darin, though he declined to specify which threat in particular he was referring to.
Directed and scripted by Argentina's Bruno Stagnaro, "The Eternaut" is based on the comic by the same name serialized by writer Hector Oesterheld and illustrator Francisco Solano Lopez between 1957 and 1959.
Oesterheld took the series up again in the 1960s, with ever-more political overtones that are believed to have contributed to his kidnapping in 1977 under Argentina's brutal military dictatorship.
He was never heard from again, nor were his four daughters and three sons-in-law, all of whom figure among the estimated 30,000 people listed as "disappeared" by agents of the dictatorship, according to rights groups.
'Very, very hard work'
Darin, known for his roles in the films "Nine Queens," "Wild Tales," and "The Secret in Their Eyes" -- which won the Oscar for best international feature in 2010 -- said he was scared at first of playing Juan Salvo, the resistance hero in "The Eternaut."
He had no background in science fiction and had to do demanding stunts.
"Physically it was very, very hard work," the actor said.
"Each day, the end of filming found us exhausted, and with little recovery time."
Darin took part in 113 of the 148 days of shooting, often decked out in Salvo's heavy snow-proof outfit on sets covered with tons of cumbersome artificial snow.
"Not to mention the things that happen in an action shoot, where you have to roll, jump, fall, crash, fight; a series of things that when you're 25 or 30 years old, it's nothing, but for me, who is 114..." he laughed.
Darin is hopeful the series will be a boost for Argentine cinema at a time the government of budget-slashing President Javier Milei has withdrawn state support for the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts, and for culture in general.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
3 hours ago
- France 24
Ezra Collective's infectious energy defies jazz 'elitism' to win new fans
Over the last two years alone, "EZ" has become the first British jazz group to win the prestigious Mercury Prize and have a Top 10 UK album with 2024's "Dance, No One's Watching." Its crowning glory came in March when it was named group of the year at the 2025 Brit Awards, an annual celebration of UK music. "Jazz, when I was growing up, was an expensive thing to tap into. I couldn't afford to get into most jazz clubs, I definitely couldn't afford a drink," drummer Femi Koleoso told AFP at his small music studio in North London, close to where he grew up. "Jazz felt like an upper class, elitist high art form... so we're just making people feel like this is for everyone," he added. The story of Ezra Collective, named after the biblical prophet, began around a decade ago when Koleoso and his younger brother TJ, a bassist, began playing in teenage jazz clubs, where they met keyboardist Joe Armon-Jones and saxophonist James Mollison. They were later joined by trumpeter Ife Ogunjobi. 'Temple of joy' "We learned jazz... but we fell in love with Afrobeat first. That was our first love, and infusing the two was the first sound," explained Koleoso. A decade later, the band, which will play at the Glastonbury Festival later this month, has incorporated other influences such as hip-hop, dub, reggae, Ghanaian highlife music and "most recently salsa music", he said. But jazz still "underpins" everything the band creates, added the drummer. Its danceable and inventive concoction has won fans far beyond jazz's traditional base, helped by the wild energy of its concerts where the charismatic Koleoso, like a preacher, exhorts the crowd to create a "temple of joy". One of the leading groups in an insurgent jazz scene, driven by a new generation of musicians, the quintet surprised everyone by winning the prestigious Mercury Prize for their second album, "Where I'm Meant To Be", released in 2023. The victory "finally acknowledges a golden age for UK jazz", said Guardian music critic Alexis Petridis. "A lot of us have a similar origin story in that a lot of us met in these youth clubs," which, according to bassist TJ Koleoso, have helped make London "the best place to be born in the world" for aspiring young musicians. 'Free-for-all' The thriving community owes much to the "Tomorrow's Warriors" programme established by Gary Crosby and Janine Irons. Attempting to address the lack of diversity in jazz, they founded the programme in 1991 to provide young people with free spaces to practise, learn to play together and meet artists. It has fostered numerous talents such as Nubya Garcia, Kokoroko, and Ezra Collective, and the band's members now give lessons or donate instruments to the city's clubs, which have seen their numbers dwindle amid spending cuts. "This moment right here is because of the great youth clubs, and the great teachers and the great schools that support young people playing music," Femi Koleoso said at the Brits in March, as his band triumphed against music giants such as Coldplay and The Cure. Devout Christians and fans of Fela Kuti and Arsenal Football Club, the brothers grew up in the north London neighbourhood of Enfield. "I grew up next to a Bangladeshi family, my best friend in school was Turkish, I'm Nigerian, my best mate is Ghanaian and (there's) Jamaicans everywhere you go," said Femi Koleoso. "That kind of melting-pot" has inspired "everything I wrote and created", added Femi Koleoso, who also toured with top group Gorillaz in recent years. When Ezra Collective takes to the stage, "the first part of the song will be played accurately" but "the moment the last note of the first part of the song is done, it's just a free-for-all, just see what happens, and long may that continue," said a smiling Femi Koleoso. "I don't know if AI could be doing that gig," added TJ Koleoso, addressing the debate about technology. He insisted that "real, authentic things survive" such upheavals.
France 24
8 hours ago
- France 24
Two of K-pop's BTS megastars released from military service
The seven members of BTS, South Korea's most lucrative musical act, have been on a self-described "hiatus" since 2022 while they separately undertake the mandatory service, required of all South Korean men under 30 due to tensions with the nuclear-armed North. Hundreds of fans gathered near two army bases just outside of the capital Seoul where band leader RM -- recently named "Favorite K-pop Artist" at the American Music Awards -- and singer V were released Tuesday. They are two of four BTS members who will be released this week. Two more, who enlisted first, were discharged last year, and the final member SUGA -- who has been working as a social service agent for alternative non-active-duty service -- will be released later this month. HYBE, the band's agency, urged fans not to go to the discharge location, citing safety concerns. "With the safety of both artists and fans in mind, we strongly urge fans not to go to the location in person," the agency wrote on Weverse, its superfan platform. Despite the warning, dozens of fans gathered outside V's military base, eagerly awaiting the return of their star. "Honestly, I came here with such high expectations," Yang Ho-hee, 28, told AFP outside the base. Fans had hung colourful banners to welcome the 29-year-old back to civilian life. "Taehyung, let's never be apart again," one said, referring to V's real name, Kim Tae-hyung. "I'll follow only you, Taehyung. We are each other's strength," said another. Reunion tour? Near the bases, on a football field where the newly released BTS members are set to speak later, hundreds of fans from around the world gathered hoping to catch a glimpse of their idols. "Actually, it's mixed emotions. I feel like I'm crying already," said Arlene Mendoza, a fan from the Philippines. "I've been traveling to Korea so many times, but this is actually the first time I'll see V." In addition to the army releases, Friday is so-called FESTA -- a celebration that marks the anniversary of the group's debut and typically draws thousands of global fans to Seoul. Mendoza told AFP she plans to attend fellow member J-hope's concert on Friday, plus join other BTS FESTA events. All the band members signed new contracts with HYBE in 2023, and once SUGA is released June 21, analysts expect reunion activities. This should boost the K-pop industry as a whole -- and especially HYBE. "In the case of HYBE share prices, the current market consensus is seen as not fully reflecting BTS's impact," Lim Soo-jin, an analyst at Daishin Securities, told AFP. Despite an ongoing police investigation into the company chairman for suspected insider trading and a recent raid by authorities, analysts say HYBE's shares are expected to remain stable. "We see there's a high possibility of an upward revision in earnings forecasts, which could in turn drive the stock price higher," Lim said. HYBE's shares have seen a sharp increase, rising by 10 percent over the past week through June 9. GDP impact Prior to beginning their mandatory military service, the mega boy band generated more than 5.5 trillion won ($4 billion) in yearly economic impact, according to the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute. That accounts for roughly 0.2 percent of South Korea's total GDP, according to official data. HYBE has hinted at a BTS comeback this year, but has also said the members "need time for reflection and preparation". "Normally, the process goes from song production to album release, then a tour," Lee Jae-sang, CEO of HYBE, told a shareholder meeting in March. "But since BTS have already become global top-tier artists, we are continuing discussions about their vision and what's next," Lee added. Outside HYBE headquarters in Seoul, banners from fans read: "Thank you for making even the waiting feel joyful."
Fashion Network
8 hours ago
- Fashion Network
Kenya's plus-size fashion show says 'big is beautiful'
In African wax print dresses and tight-fitting evening wear, the "plus-size" models strutted up the runway in Kisumu, western Kenya, in a special event designed to celebrate the beauty of larger women. Started nine years ago, the East Africa Plus Size Fashion Affair is, according to founder Winnie Wenga Walcott, the only event of its kind in Kenya despite the fact the region "has mostly really plump women". "We have seen the media really trying to focus on a certain body type of women," she told AFP. "And in so doing, this has really affected their self-esteem." In front of more than 300 screaming spectators, a dozen amateur models walked and danced their way along the catwalk this weekend. Unlike traditional haute couture shows, there was a lot of smiling. Among them was Oprah Odhiambo, a Kenyan entrepreneur, who wanted to show that "plus size can do what the petite can do, so I feel joyous." "There are those plus-size women who are in hiding because they are afraid that people will body shame them," she said, adding that she hopes the show will make them reassess their self-image. Singer and model Rosemary Odire, stage name Nyakusa Nyamama, spoke of the sneers she has faced when performing. "I have encountered so many problems... people are like 'Yo big mama, what are you going to do there, you cannot dance, get off the stage,'" she said. "But I am here portraying... not just any beauty, not just plus-size beauty, but the African beauty in me," added Odire, who swayed her hips on the runway in a leopard-skin skirt. Coming from all walks of Kenyan society, the models did not have this level of confidence when they started training in March. "They were very timid about their body sizes," recalled Walcott, adding that there was now a "huge difference". The fashion show addresses health issues but also focuses on "accepting curvy women" and "celebrating their appearance by blending it with fashion due to the difficulty they face finding clothes," said Walcott. Walcott created the show to honour her own mother -- so she could "see herself as beautiful." "You see how big I am, I really hated my body, but she really encouraged me," said Walcott's mother, Seline Aoko, speaking at the fruit stall in Kisumu where she works. "Big is beautiful!"
