Rabaud de Peixe expects Netflix series to reshape the village

At the Ribeiragrandense Theatre, in the Azores, Rabo de Peixe premiered as if it were a “party” and the population expected the Netflix production to “reverse” the image of the fishing village.

Early in the evening, dozens of people gathered at the door of the Teatro Ribeiragrandense in the center of Ribeira Grande, waiting for the premiere of Rabo de Peixe by Ukbar Filmes, Augusto Fraga, and one of the ten winning projects in a screenplay competition organized by Netflix in conjunction with the Instituto do Cinema e do audiovisual.

“You came to the party?” could be heard in the crowd, where the community of Rabaud de Peixe mingled with political representatives, heads of regional institutions, actors and production participants.

After confirming the name on the guest list, people entered and took all 287 seats in the hall. Sold out.

The timid “good night” of actor José Condessa, who entered the hall together with the secretary of the government of the Azores for cultural affairs, was drowned out by loud applause from the hall.

Prior to the exhibition, the mayor of Ribeira Grande, Alexandre Gaudenciu, took the stage to express a wish supported by the community of Rabo de Peixe, the largest parish of the municipality on the north coast of the island of São Miguel: “This will be a turning point for Rabo de Peixe.”

As the session began, the lights went out and the alarming buzz was replaced by silence. The first episode was followed closely, eliciting a chorus of laughter every time typical San Miguel slang expressions appeared.

At the end, a long and enthusiastic applause reflected the positive reception of the audience, expressed by the feeling of the chairman of the parish council, Rabo de Peixe, who admitted that he had left the session “more relaxed”.

“The concern of all the Slave Paysens and myself as mayor was not to tarnish the image of the village. We all know how reality is often not what it seems. what we can watch, I believe that people will look at the show in a different way,” Jaime Vieira told Lusa.

The series, inspired by the unloading of half a ton of cocaine off the Azores in 2001, divided a local community that feared the impact of the production on perpetuating the stigma around Rabo de Peixe.

After watching the first episode, the chairman felt that the series conveyed a “powerful call for youth” to “get off the easy path” of drugs.

“After watching the first episode, I want to convey the message that this series places a lot of importance on warning young people that drugs are not an option. Despite how easy it may be, this is not the way to go. that,” he stressed.

According to the mayor, the parish should “take advantage” of the production so that people visit Rabo de Peixe because of the “sincerity, humility and know-how of its people”.

“What we feared in the first episode did not come true. Let’s hope it turns and turns. Let this be the cause of a great impetus for the growth of the village,” he said.

Alvaro Cabral from Rabó Peixeira also said that he thought the series would be positive for the parish and emphasized the team’s involvement in the life of the population. In his case, he became friends with actor José Condessa.

“I really liked the first episode. It will be good for the image of the village. I was there with them to show my boat. We already have a trusting relationship with him,” he explained.

The series was joined by 11-year-old son Ines Lopez. The mother said she believed the production would give “international recognition” to the Azores.

“I thought that this might cause some discomfort, but in the context of history and myths, it turned out to be an added value for our island. Rabo de Peixe is a charming village with very hardworking people. All of them can be congratulated, because they are the people of our land,” he said.

Judging by the reaction at the premiere, everyone was satisfied with the end result. Laura Melissa of Ribeira Grande defended that the first episode gives a “good idea” of the “virtues” of the people of Rabo de Peixe.

“People need to see that this is not a portrait of reality, but fiction. This cannot be related to the stereotype of the Rabo de Peixe people. People should be open-minded when watching the show and not jump to false conclusions.” , highlighted.

Ana Lima, a young woman from Ribeira Grande, also said she thought the production would “reveal the wealth” of the fishing village.

“When people watch this series, they will look at Rabo de Peixe with different eyes and see the weaknesses, but above all the wealth of this people.”

After the screening, director Augusto Fraga from the Azores took the stage to evoke his memories of the island, accompanied by actor José Condessa, who named Ivan and Jaime, two children from the parish, “the first people” he saw in Rabo. de Peixe.

“They were the first people I saw. They had a soccer ball under their arm. We played football together and became friends,” he explained.

The preview ended with the musician Romeu Bairos playing viola da terra and singing “Ilhas de Bruma”, a kind of anthem for the Azores, and a song by Sandro Gee, who has become an icon of Rabo de Peixe. And, some in a higher tone, some in a confessional register, the listeners chanted: “I will not cry. This life is not for me.”