Originally produced in Latin America back in the 50's, telenovelas are known worldwide for being dominated by melodrama and exaggerated reactions. The word "telenovela" combines two words: 'tele' (stands for television) and 'novela' (novel). In the English-speaking world, they're known as soap operas, but they do not share quite the same characteristics.
A telenovela or simply novela, as it's commonly known by the Latino community, usually tells a story within the span of a year, it always has a hero and a villain, and their beginning, middle, and ending are very easy to identify.
Novelas have always been a big deal in the Mexican community. No matter if you love them or hate them, in Mexico it's very hard to ignore the fact they exist; they're simply part of our culture. Yes, some are better than others, and most can agree that telenovelas are not what they used to be 10 or 20 years ago. Sadly, and even though they're still part of many people's lives, their popularity has decreased a lot in recent years.
(Photo credit: mujerpandora.com)
However, the internet and platforms like Netflix and YouTube make it easier for people of all ages to have access to TV series, movies, documentaries, and more from the confort of home.
In recent years, Mexican producers and directors have made a big effort in trying to put Mexico on the map through new movies and TV series while taking advantage of new technologies, but without forgetting their roots. "Luis Miguel: La Serie", "Club de Cuervos", "Ingobernable" and "Sr. Avila" are some of the newest and best projects that have emerged recently, and the leading roles in these shows being aired on HBO and Netflix are played by former novela actors.
"House of Flowers" is a Mexican 13-episode comedy-drama web series created by Manolo Caro that premiered during the second week of August. It's the third Mexican Netflix Original Series after "Club de Cuervos" and "Ingobernable". Its release was announced around a year ago and nobody thought it would become something this big.
Manolo Caro is a Mexican director, producer and writer that has been in the spotlight the last couple of years thanks to the success of movies such as "Elvira, Te Daria Mi Vida Pero la Estoy Usando" (In english: "Elvira, I Would Give You My Life But I'm Using It") and "No Se Si Cortarme las Venas o Dejarmelas Largas" ("I Don't Know Whether to Cut My Wrists or Leave Them Long").
This summer, Caro delights the audience with the story about a dysfunctional but wealthy Mexican family that owns a prestigious flower shop in a high-class neighborhood, in which everyone is trying to maintain a perfect appearance. This becomes harder for everybody after an unexpected suicide happens in the family business. After this event, a lot of secrets start to come to light.
(Photo credit: iconosmag.com)
"La Casa de las Flores" not only has an appealing plot, it also has an extraordinary cast. Veronica Castro, one of Mexico's greatest icons, makes her big comeback as Virginia De La Mora, one of the main characters in this dramedy. She shares the screen with Aislinn Derbez, Dario Yazbek Bernal, and Cecilia Suarez, a recurring actress in Caro's productions.
Since its premiere, this show has had thousands of views and rave reviews, and not only from the Mexican audience. Whether it's because of the story, the characters or the cast, we're sure you'll have a good time watching the episodes, each one named after a different type of flower, such as Orchid, Magnolia, Tulip, Dhalia, and so on.
If you never had the chance to watch a good telenovela as a kid, we invite you to watch the pilot for this novela-like series to practice your Spanish. We're sure you'll have a fun time discovering the secrets from every member of the De La Mora family and learning some of Mexico's most popular slang words.
In your next Spanish lesson, don't forget to tell us what you thought about "La Casa de las Flores". Did you like it? Who was your favorite character?
A telenovela or simply novela, as it's commonly known by the Latino community, usually tells a story within the span of a year, it always has a hero and a villain, and their beginning, middle, and ending are very easy to identify.
Novelas have always been a big deal in the Mexican community. No matter if you love them or hate them, in Mexico it's very hard to ignore the fact they exist; they're simply part of our culture. Yes, some are better than others, and most can agree that telenovelas are not what they used to be 10 or 20 years ago. Sadly, and even though they're still part of many people's lives, their popularity has decreased a lot in recent years.
(Photo credit: mujerpandora.com)
However, the internet and platforms like Netflix and YouTube make it easier for people of all ages to have access to TV series, movies, documentaries, and more from the confort of home.
In recent years, Mexican producers and directors have made a big effort in trying to put Mexico on the map through new movies and TV series while taking advantage of new technologies, but without forgetting their roots. "Luis Miguel: La Serie", "Club de Cuervos", "Ingobernable" and "Sr. Avila" are some of the newest and best projects that have emerged recently, and the leading roles in these shows being aired on HBO and Netflix are played by former novela actors.
La Casa de las Flores: The New Phenomenon
"House of Flowers" is a Mexican 13-episode comedy-drama web series created by Manolo Caro that premiered during the second week of August. It's the third Mexican Netflix Original Series after "Club de Cuervos" and "Ingobernable". Its release was announced around a year ago and nobody thought it would become something this big.
Manolo Caro is a Mexican director, producer and writer that has been in the spotlight the last couple of years thanks to the success of movies such as "Elvira, Te Daria Mi Vida Pero la Estoy Usando" (In english: "Elvira, I Would Give You My Life But I'm Using It") and "No Se Si Cortarme las Venas o Dejarmelas Largas" ("I Don't Know Whether to Cut My Wrists or Leave Them Long").
This summer, Caro delights the audience with the story about a dysfunctional but wealthy Mexican family that owns a prestigious flower shop in a high-class neighborhood, in which everyone is trying to maintain a perfect appearance. This becomes harder for everybody after an unexpected suicide happens in the family business. After this event, a lot of secrets start to come to light.
(Photo credit: iconosmag.com)
"La Casa de las Flores" not only has an appealing plot, it also has an extraordinary cast. Veronica Castro, one of Mexico's greatest icons, makes her big comeback as Virginia De La Mora, one of the main characters in this dramedy. She shares the screen with Aislinn Derbez, Dario Yazbek Bernal, and Cecilia Suarez, a recurring actress in Caro's productions.
Since its premiere, this show has had thousands of views and rave reviews, and not only from the Mexican audience. Whether it's because of the story, the characters or the cast, we're sure you'll have a good time watching the episodes, each one named after a different type of flower, such as Orchid, Magnolia, Tulip, Dhalia, and so on.
If you never had the chance to watch a good telenovela as a kid, we invite you to watch the pilot for this novela-like series to practice your Spanish. We're sure you'll have a fun time discovering the secrets from every member of the De La Mora family and learning some of Mexico's most popular slang words.
In your next Spanish lesson, don't forget to tell us what you thought about "La Casa de las Flores". Did you like it? Who was your favorite character?
