The delusion of the FIFA Gate looms on Amazon: all the keys to 'The President' by the protagonists

“Many times reality surpasses fiction and this is the case.” Initial confession of Armando Bo, the director awarded an Oscar for Birdman (2014) and now creator of the series President (Amazon Prime Video) in his video call chat with AS. The premiere of his latest work, inspired by the FIFA Gate scandal with Joseph Blatter and Julio Grondona in the middle, invites to talk about soccer. It especially invites to talk about circle of power that pulls the strings of football.

The fiction, which Bo defines as a satire on FIFA's delusion, is supported by real events and related from Sergio Jadue's point of view, the former president of a small club in Chile (Deportes La Calera) and his surprising rise. Overnight Jadue is seen in front of the ANFP (National Association of Professional Soccer in Chile) and shortly afterwards within the clique that handled the threads of Latin American football. With the left hand and the dark practices of the ex-president of the AFA (Argentine Football Association). With the approval of Joseph Blatter. And from there to the dismantling of the plot by an FBI investigation.

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Co-produced by Gaumont, Fabula and Kapow, President It is presented as an author series divided into eight chapters and with the claim of actors such as Andrés Parra (Pablo Escobar: The Patron of Evil), Paulina Gaitán (Guardian Devil), Karla Souza (How to Get Away with Murder) or Luis Margani, among others.

The tone and the protagonists.

“We seek to show the absurd, the circus, the delirium. The way they handled themselves is so obvious that it was a great opportunity to do something different. If Grondona tells you from heaven, anything can happen. We play with this and not with the complaint. Everyone knows what he did, “explains Bo.

But the complaint also resides there. At least this is how Parra points out, who plays the role of Sergio Jadue. “The series is constantly giving you real and official figures. It introduces you to the characters with names and surnames. The complaint is implicit,” says the Colombian actor, also known as his role in Pablo Escobar: The Patron of Evil.

The framework is thus exposed by contrast in a tone that surprised even the cast. “We thought we were shooting a drama Super strong of corruption and as the situations happened we realized that everything was funny. The characters did not laugh, but the situations of the characters. It is a satire, “says Paulina Gaitán, in the shoes of Nené, Jadue's wife, and who is shown in the series with also excessive ambition. “Nené is a very strong woman who can be manipulative. She knows how to reach her husband. A way like sexual. She constantly drives him because she knows that if he grows, she will grow with him and it is much easier to grow as a team than to grow alone, “explains the actress.

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The accents.

The characterization of the characters is essential for the credibility of the series and the combination of Latin American accents surprises. “I was preparing it on the fly with a coach who was all the time on set. And we supported each other a lot with the people from the Chilean team. I was asking. How do I say this in Chilean? Tell me again. And they repeated it to me and I took it out. Yes, po! (Yes, well!)“says Gaitán with a laugh.

For Parra the mission became an obsession. He needed to internalize it to free himself. “It was undoubtedly one of the most difficult challenges. I am so afraid of it that I try to dedicate as much time as possible. I had more time than Paulina to work with the coach accent. It is very difficult because sometimes as an actor you want to have the freedom to simply worry about your character and not be so aware of technical issues. We must be aware that a Colombian, Mexicanism does not come out. Luis Gnecco, Chilean actor playing Colombian; Karla Souza from Venezuelan … This was like the stew of the accent, but a lot of fun, “concludes Parra.

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The talk of the protagonists with AS comes to an end with the confession of Armando Bo's devotion to Independiente, Bochini and also Messi. “Bochini represents all my childhood. Messi and Barça are the ones who give me some joy from time to time,” says the director. Or the cross jokes between Gaitán and Parra. “The story is very striking both for the football fan and for those who are not. I was impressed by the art work, costumes, makeup, setting … Removing Paulina is a great series, “says Parra as a farewell. Gaitan, laughing, avoids entering the rag. “I don't say anything to him. I love him. He knows it,” she resolves.

The satire and delirium of the series are still there. And the memory of FIFA Gate too.

With President Amazon Prime Video expands its sports catalog. It will be translated in 28 languages ​​and available in more than 200 countries.

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