Show of the week: Xingu

Globo was at NATPE Europe this week with Xingu, a series from City of God director Fernando Meirelles. The period drama, named after the Xingu national park in Brazil, follows the Villas-Bôas brothers’ fight for the rights of indigenous tribespeople.

In Brazil the series was a big hit on Globo, generating a 41% share (source: Ibope). Globo coproduced the show with O2 Filmes, Meirelles’ production company.

“The miniseries is an extended version of the movie Xingu, edited especially for television,” says Raphael Corrêa Netto, Globo’s executive director of international business. “Doing the movie and series in a single project is an action that has been going on for some time in Brazil.”

Globo is best known for its novellas, but Corrêa Netto says: “Channels around the world have space for both telenovelas and miniseries. An example is TVN, in Poland, which licensed Xingu, another miniseries, Bald Mountain, and also Trail of Lies, a typical telenovela with its intrigue and love affairs.”

Meirelles’ connection will spur the sales effort for Xingu, he adds: “The fact that the film was produced by a director who is recognised worldwide gives even more credibility to the production.”

In addition to Fernando Meirelles, it has core direction by Guel Arraes and direction by Cao Hamburger, also very well-respected professionals. The result is a beautiful film and miniseries with interesting information that few people know about Brazil.

The show: Xingu
The producers: Globo, O2 Filmes
The distributor: Globo
The broadcaster: Globo (Brazil)
Concept: Miniseries from Fernando Meirelles (City of God) about three brothers fighting for the rights of indigenous tribespeople – reworked from the eponymous feature film