Scripted

Period Drama Coolie Premiered at Content Americas

Period Drama Coolie Premiered at Content Americas
At Content Americas, premiered the first episode of  period drama Coolie, which tells the moving story of a Chinese slave in Cuba during the 1800s.
This production, with a strong Latin American presence, sheds light on a little-explored chapter in history: the plight of Chinese slaves in Latin America. 

The idea for Coolie was born in the 1990s when Meileen Choo, the series’ producer and showrunner, visited Cuba and became fascinated by the history of the Chinese community in the country. Over the years, she developed the narrative that would eventually become Coolie.
The plot follows a young Chinese woman who arrives in Cuba searching for her fiancé, only to find herself trapped in the harsh realities faced by Chinese slaves. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she is kidnapped by one of the story’s main villains. Alongside her, the series also follows Maria, portrayed by Camila Arteche, a complex character who, despite her antagonistic nature, has a deeply human and understandable backstory.

“I was always very interested in the history of Chinese people living outside their homeland. As I researched, I discovered that there were significant Chinese communities not only in Cuba but also in Peru, Bolivia, and other Latin American countries,” Choo explained in a conversation with ttvnews during the event.

A pivotal moment in the development of the series came from historical documents: “The most important reference was a report commissioned by the Qing Dynasty, where approximately 1,200 Chinese citizens in Cuba were interviewed about their living conditions. The horrific treatment endured by Chinese slaves in Cuba was well documented in that report,” she said.

Initially, Choo envisioned Coolie as a feature film and worked with a Korean-American screenwriter. However, she soon realized that she wanted to tell the story from a female perspective. She then opted for female screenwriters and personally wrote the first episode, which set the foundation for the entire series.

With eight episodes, Coolie is currently seeking distribution on a major regional platform. 

(Photo credit is Simon Wilkinson). 

Fromatbiz_900x120_ValleyOfHearts_LoveAndPride
G00680_FORMATBIZZ_DIGITAL_BANNER_900x120_GOGGLEBOX_V2
34-STAT-EN-FORMATBIZ-900-X-120-PX
IL MAMMO_900x120