SABC2 started a Brazilian telenovela this past Monday (1 June) in a bizarre twist of scheduling.
If the title sounds familiar to you... it aired on M-Net Series in 2015. It was made in 2012 but the story is highly relevant in these times of ours as it deals with divisions of power, wealth and race.
It tells of the story of Isabel (Camila Pitanga) and Laura (Marjorie Estiano), two women from dramatically different backgrounds who have the same purpose in life: the conquest of freedom and equality in the conservative Brazilian society of the early 20th century.
Isabel is a house cleaner who has worked at the home of a rich French woman since she was 14. She lives in a slum with her father Afonso (Milton Gonçalves), a former slave.
Laura is the daughter of a former coffee baron whose life is filled with luxury and wealth, which doesn't impress her. She has a degree in education and wants to teach and work, which women of her "social class" didn't do at the time.
The series explores their friendship, which won an International Emmy Award for Best Telenovela in 2013.
It airs at 13h30 on Mondays and Tuesdays for 105 episodes, with repeats on Saturday nights at 22h30 and 23h00. Episode 1 airs this Saturday (6 June) if you've missed it.
Unfortunately there aren't teasers available for it. Well, there are, but they're in Portuguese and Spanish!
We'll update you if someone manages to translate them into English like they've done with the series.