After Dark, its creators are returning to Netflix with a new series just as mysterious and ambitious, entitled 1899. Is this work inspired by a true story?
So at the top with the cardboard of their Dark series, creators Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar announced in November 2018 that they were developing another project for Netflix. Two years later, when Dark comes to an end, the duo can finally focus on their new serial epic titled 1899.
For this ambitious series, Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar reconnect with themes that are dear to them and shape a new mystical and complex universe. And like Dark before it, 1899 is a pure work of fiction, which is however based on a historical past and the current socio-political context.
How did the idea for 1899 come about?
This very ambitious series has a strong European reach and the current socio-political context has influenced its creators, as Jantje Friese explained to Deadline:
“The European angle as a whole was very important to us, not only in terms of the story, but also the way we were going to produce it. It really had to be a European collaboration, not only with the actors but also with the team.”
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In addition, the European migrant crisis and Brexit were other inspirational factors:
“We felt that with the last few years of Europe in decline, we wanted to give a counterpoint to Brexit and the rise of nationalisms in different countries, to get back to this idea of Europe and Europeans working and creating together.
Being true to cultures and languages was really important, we never wanted to have characters from different countries but everyone speaks English. We wanted to explore this heart of Europe, where everyone comes from somewhere else and speaks a different language, and language defines your culture and behavior so much.”
Starting from this premise, the creators of 1899 therefore imagined the story of European immigrants sailing to New York. The passengers are all of different origins but share the same dreams and hopes for the new centenary and their future abroad.
Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar mix this plot with scientific and mystical elements, as in Dark, and deliver a fascinating new experience that sends the ship’s passengers into horror when they discover another ship adrift in the open sea. , missing for months, and that this sinister find will reveal dark secrets to them.
The 1899 series is available on Netflix.