Series 1899 Netflix is perhaps one of the most complex and mysterious stories on the platform. With his mixture of suspense, horror and philosophical approaches, he has become a new fan obsession. At the same time, in a well-constructed work that analyzes the idea of reality through all sorts of symbols and levels of interpretation.
However, for the creators of Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar, the same people behind the success Dark, the series is not just a scenario of inexplicable events. It is a direct, complex and often painful confrontation with the idea of time and dramatic events. Here’s how they explained it in an extensive interview at Termin which they also state that they relied on some real events in their arguments.
In particular, in migration crises, the perception of ethnic differences and the understanding of emotional pain are part of important decisions. For the creator duo, 1899 it is a journey through a person facing the worst situations, but also extreme existential suffering. Between both things, the series uses the script of the enigmatic to tell about something more complex. This is a project that tries to root his sense of reality through experience and the power of spirituality in order to create something more complex.
“We are old school filmmakers. We’re used to being in real places, using real sounds and stuff like that. That was the plan for this show,” explains Odar. “The pandemic hit us hard and we needed to discuss how we could make a pan-European show during this time. It was really the worst idea. It wasn’t about time, it was about people.”
Realistic setting for an amazing story about 1899
Both creators also made the decision that despite being in a distant historical location, 1899 I had to touch on current issues. Therefore, migration crises, the social gap in Europe and, especially, direct effects of Brexit included peripherally.
“The whole European perspective was very important to us, not only in terms of the plot, but also in terms of how we were going to create it,” Friese said. “However, changing perspectives on identity, time, and values are elements that make a big difference in the series.”
“We felt that given the last few years of the decline of Europe, we wanted to create a counterbalance to Brexit and the growing nationalism in different countries,” Friese said. For multinational creator, crew and passengers 1899 They were of fundamental importance. “We needed to get back to the idea that Europe and Europeans work and create together,” explained the producers, both of German origin.
For this reason, it is important to emphasize the different origins of one of the main characters. “Being true to cultures and languages was very important. We didn’t want the characters to be from different countries, but to have them all speak English,” Friese explains. “We wanted to explore the very heart of Europe, where everyone comes from the same place and speaks different languages.” For him showrunner, it was also a way to support the main idea of the series: the plurality of reality. “The plurality of languages is seen as different scenarios. Language largely determines your culture and behavior. Something we wanted to show in 1899“.
The real beginning of a scary story
As if that wasn’t enough, the creators also relied on a real event for the central plot. 1899. The storyline, which tells about the mystery of the passage of the ships Kerberus and Prometheus, is based on the disappearance of the brig “Mary Celeste”. This is one of the most famous maritime legends.. At the end of 1872, the ship was found adrift without a trace of the crew and passengers. In fact, only his personal belongings were found safe and sound.
The mystery has been part of all sorts of speculation for years, but there is still no clear answer as to what happened. “We wanted to give the series that same air of enduring mystery,” Odar explained. “Kerberos and Prometheus are also destined to become legends, although of a different kind. Something we wanted to show in the show.”
