Rio de Janeiro's famed Sugarloaf serves as a backdrop for the launch event for Desperate Lies, the series starring Juliana Paes and Vladimir Brichta →

Rio de Janeiro, July 2, 2024 - As seen from the window of the lead couple's apartment at the launch event for Desperate Lies: this incredible view of Sugarloaf, one of Rio de Janeiro's most iconic images, was the postcard setting for a chat about Netflix's first Brazilian melodrama series this Tuesday morning. Host Regina Volpato, actors Juliana Paes and Vladimir Brichta, artistic director Maurício Farias, and author and screenwriter Angela Chaves all discussed details about the series, which premieres Friday, July 5.

Angela believes that people will identify with what Liana (Juliana Paes) has to deal with at home. "The plot takes on some very difficult subjects without making judgements about the character or her decisions. What matters -- the heart of the story -- is how her life is transformed by the violence she endures. Heteroparental superfecundation is, in fact, just the jumping-off point for a great family drama," Angela confirms.

After watching a scene in which Liana confronts Oscar, the villain, who's played by actor Felipe Abib, Juliana Paes reacted with enthusiasm to the role. "It was complicated to do, it's complicated to watch. Liana goes through a lot: the dream of having a family, the pregnancy, the abuse... The most delicate matter for me is how sexual abuse is understood over time. It's a process people take a while to understand. Building this character took a lot of work and sensitivity", the actress says.

Vladimir Brichta jumped into the conversation: "Today things have a name. In 2006, when we start to tell the story, people could say that my character, Tomás, is high-strung. Now, in 2024, we know that he is toxic. And understanding exactly what this type of behavior is and giving things the right name is the first step towards correcting them. I profess a generational faith: the next generations will improve on the ones that come before them."

Maurício Farias recalled that the natural beauty of the backdrop was part of the reason it became an element of the plot.Desperate Liesis a story that could take place anywhere but, to bring Liana's drama home for viewers, we went to the most intimate and private part of Rio de Janeiro. These locations have an artistic and production design that is very precise. This is realism, onscreen. And the series is long: it took six months of preparation, 27 weeks of recording on two locations, and a team of more than 300 people."

The brunch was also attended by actors Palomma Duarte and João Vitti, who delighted the guests by talking about the breezy and mature love of Vicente and Silvia, the characters they play. In the end, Felipe Abib sent out a special video message: "I hope you hate my character." The current cast includes Martha Nowill, Antonio Grassi, Analu Prestes, Felipe Ricca, José Beltrão, Yohama Eshima, Pedro Manuel Nabuco, Mário Borges, Rui Ricardo Diaz, Agatha Marinho, Bento Veiga, Amanda Spanner, André Dale and Dani Ornellas.

In a single 17-episode season, produced by A Fábrica, Desperate Liesis the story of dreams that are hard hit with great plot twists, loss and learning opportunities. Liana, a woman who dreams of becoming a mother, endures events that are beyond her control and affect her marriage to Tomás. After discovering her husband's infidelity, Liana's night ends in a non-consensual encounter and a scientific rarity, heteroparental superfecundation: a pregnancy with twins from different fathers. Liana, willing to fight to keep the situation a secret, finds herself emotionally confused and unsure that she will be able to love both children equally and maintain her family bonds as they were before.

Download more photos of the event HERE(Credits: Nat Odenbreit/Netflix and Marcos Serra Lima/Netflix)

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About Netflix

Netflix is one of the largest entertainment services in the world. With 270 million paid subscriptions in 190 countries, Netflix viewers can access series, movies and games in different genres and languages and can watch, pause and continue to enjoy them as many times, and whenever and wherever, they want.

About A Fábrica

Since its creation in 2016, A Fábrica, now a division of Banijay Americas (a leading entertainment creator and producer made up of production companies throughout the United States and Latin America), has established itself as a leader in high-quality scripted content in Brazil. Led by partners Luiz Noronha, Renato Fagundes, Cecilia Grosso, Samanta Moraes and Alberto Elias, the company has produced many of the country's best scripted series and films for TV, cinema and streaming platforms. Its titles include Minha Vida em Marte; Airplane Mode; Double Dad; Lulli; Barba, Cabelo & Bigode; Galera FC; #NoFilter; Wedding Games; the documentary Son of a Mother; and Vai Que Cola, the highest-rated cable TV comedy in Brazil.

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