Argentine comic "The Eternaut" expands its reach amid a global dystopian reality, resonating particularly with local audiences.
Argentina's Dystopian Drama "The Eternaut" Gains Global Acclaim on Netflix
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — A group of friends gather in a cozy home to play cards when a power outage ensues, their cellphones die, and an eerie snowfall blankets the city, killing anyone it touches. This chilling premise drives "The Eternaut," a futuristic drama that recently premiered on Netflix, resonating with audiences worldwide.
With its unique blend of sci-fi elements and a focus on human resilience, the six-episode, Spanish-language series catapulted to the top of Netflix's most-streamed non-English shows within days of its April 30 release. The streaming giant has already renewed the show for a second season, with filming set to commence next year.
"The Eternaut" holds a deeper significance for Argentina, as the original graphic novel was written by Héctor Germán Oesterheld in 1957. Oesterheld, who was "disappeared" by Argentina's military dictatorship in 1977, along with four of his daughters, gives the series an added layer of historical context.
The renewed interest in the source material has sparked a flurry of activity among overseas publishers, with the New York-based Fantagraphics Books planning to reissue an English translation due to growing demand in the United States.
At home, the TV adaptation has rekindled historical wounds and found unexpected relevance at a time of heightened social and political turmoil. Under President Javier Milei's far-right administration, Argentines grapple with concerns over society's direction.
"The surge of 'The Eternaut' has created a cultural and social event beyond the series," said Martín Oesterheld, the writer's grandson and a creative consultant on the show. "It fills our hearts. It brings us pride."
Setting the series in Buenos Aires, an Argentine cast, and maintaining the native language were crucial to the production team, aiming to honor Oesterheld's original creation. To escape the industry's tendency to destroy New York City and other Western centers in apocalyptic dramas, the show was intentionally filmed in Spanish.
The special-effects-laden show took four years of pre- and post-production, involved 2,900 people, and pumped $34 million into Argentina's economy. Aliens wreak havoc on Buenos Aires, eviscerating the cityscape and providing a chilling sense of familiarity for Argentines who rarely see their city depicted on screen in such a way.
Local customs, like playing truco, a popular Argentine trick-taking card game, and sipping mate, a signature Argentine drink made from yerba leaves, are featured throughout the series, adding a unique touch. Even the snowfall, though deadly and rare in Buenos Aires, reinforces local connections.
Updating the story to present-day Argentina, the series references the country's disastrous 1982 war with Britain over the Falkland Islands, serving as a backstory for the protagonist, Juan Salvo, played by renowned actor Ricardo Darín. Haunted by the defeat and loss of comrades, Salvo emerges as a leader of the survivors.
"The conflict in Las Malvinas is not closed, it's still a bloody wound," Darín told The Associated Press. "It's bringing the subject back to the table. That has moved a lot of people."
In times of hardship, the protagonists rely on their ingenuity and support each other, embodying the Argentine saying "atado con alambre," meaning "held together with wire" and symbolizing inventiveness amid scarcity. As the government slashes funding for cultural programs like the National Film Institute, the series' message of solidarity has gained new immediacy.
With its success, the show has become a rallying cry for those outraged by Milei's libertarian ideology, and its motto, "No one gets through it alone," has been adopted as a mantra. As protesters march against government cuts to pensions, some cover their faces with gas masks worn by characters in the show to shield against toxic snowfall, shifting bandannas for protective gear.
With the series' message resonating strongly amid current social and political unrest, the show's creators can't help but see it as a modern myth, transcending traditional boundaries and capturing universal themes.
[1] https://apnews.com/hub/entertainment & [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eternaut & [3] https://www.fantagraphics.com/books/titles/the-eternaut-the-2014-graphic-novel/ & [4] https://www.netflix.com/title/81045891 & [5] https://comicsally.com/blogs/news/some-eternaut-art-from-the-new-series-by-christophe-chabout & [6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandmothers_of_the_Plaza_de_Mayo
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In the face of Argentina's current social and political turmoil, the success of the Argentine Netflix series "The Eternaut" has taken on a cultural and social significance beyond the screen, serving as a modern myth that transcends traditional boundaries and captures universal themes. Its motto, "No one gets through it alone," has been adopted as a mantra amid growing protests against government cuts to retirement benefits.
The show's second season is already in the works, with filming set to commence next year, promising further economic investment into Argentina's television industry and entertainment sector.
