Anna Winger’s historic series, “Transatlantique”, available on Netflix, is partly inspired by the great Hollywood classic “Casablanca”. Explanations from the designer.
Adapted from the novel The Flight Portfolio by Julie Orringer, the Transatlantic series revisits the history ofEmergency Rescue Committee, a committee that enabled several thousand Jews to flee Europe during World War II. This program composed of 7 episodes is the new creation of Anna Winger, to whom we owe Unorthodox.
The screenwriter is inspired by real events and people who really existed, such as the American journalist Varian Fry, an active member of the Emergency Rescue Committee. Although it tackles a difficult subject head-on, the Transatlantic series is interested in this important part of History by granting itself a certain lightness and a few moments of breathing space.
“I have often been approached for WWII stories during my career and have always avoided them because it felt like everything had already been done, but what I liked here was the positivity”, explains Anna Winger to Deadline to justify this artistic choice.
“Making the invisible visible”: the Netflix series Transatlantic highlights unknown heroes of History
As a point of reference, the designer cites one of the greatest films of Hollywood cinema: Casablanca by Michael Curtiz. This classic, which brings together Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, is set during World War II and was filmed during the conflict – in 1942.
To distance itself from the trauma of the time, the feature film allows itself some humorous touches. An amazing style that inspired Anna Winger. The film also allowed actress Gillian Jacobs to find the tone for her character, Mary Jayne Gold – who also existed.
With our colleagues at Firstshe explains : “I grew up watching films from the 1930s and 1940s. I was obsessed with films with Kathryn Hepburn, Claudette Colbert, Casablanca and all those films. (…) I was lucky to have great roles in my career, but never something historic like that. It’s the kind of role I fantasized about when I was younger.”
Transatlantic is available on Netflix.