HBO will be making available to U.S. customers some of the most acclaimed international, original series from HBO Europe, HBO Latin America and HBO Asia. Beginning December 1, two series from each of the regions will arrive on the U.S. streaming services HBO GO and HBO NOW as well as HBO On Demand. The series will also air at various times on various HBO channels.
The series to be made available are:
HBO EUROPE
Wasteland (Pustina, Czech Republic)
Set in the scarred landscape of northern Bohemia in the Czech Republic, Pustina blends social realism, intense psychological drama and a gripping mystery when the members of a close-knit, multi-generational village community are impacted by a life-changing event. Just as Hana Sikorova, mayor of the village of Pustina, reaches the peak of her struggle against a foreign mining company that wants to access the huge coal reserves that lie beneath the village, her 14-year-old daughter Míŝa goes missing. As long-standing family relationships begin to disintegrate Hana starts to doubt the integrity of every member of her community. Initially helpful in the desperate search for the missing Míŝa, the citizens of Pustina soon begin to reveal their true colors. Winner of the Czech Lion for Best Drama Series 2016, it also had special screenings at Karlovy Vary and Toronto International Film Festivals.
8 x 1 hour. Directed by Ivan Zachariáŝ and Alice Nellis and starring Zuzana Stivínová.
WASTELAND will air in full on HBO Signature on SATURDAY, DEC. 2 (1:00-8:50 p.m. ET/PT).
Pakt (Poland)
A conspiracy thriller set in contemporary Warsaw over two seasons, Paktlooks in to the life of investigative journalist Piotr Grodecki. In season 1 he uncovers major corporate fraud and in season 2 further layers of government secrets. The action takes place in a world where politics, media and business overlap, blurring the lines between what’s true and false. Piotr painfully discovers that he will need to make a choice — seek the truth, or sacrifice the ones he loves.
Season 1 (6 x 1 hour) directed by Marek Lechki and season 2 (6 x 1 hour) directed by Leszek Dawid, stars Marcin Dorociński.
HBO ASIA
The Teenage Psychic (Taiwan)
HBO Asia’s six-part series explores the life of a girl who just wants to lead a typical teenage life. However, born with the ability to see beyond the surface and in to the spiritual sphere, she must learn to juggle the pressures of teenage life — her first love, academic success as well as peer pressure with the additional demands of the spiritual world. The Teenage Psychic is HBO Asia’s first production in Taiwan, set and filmed fully on-location. The series, which debuted in early-2017, was also jointly developed with Taiwanese broadcaster, Public Television Service (PTS), and award-winning Singaporean production company, InFocus Asia (IFA). Winner of Best Miniseries and Best Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film at the 52nd Golden Bell Awards in September 2017.
6 x 1 hour. Directed by Chen Ho-Yu and stars Kuo Shu-Yao, Kent Tsai and Akio Chen.
Halfworlds (Indonesia and Thailand)
Halfworlds delves into the underworld of mythological demons that inhabit the back alleys of Jakarta (season 1) and the neon lights of Bangkok (season 2). Season 2 follows a tenacious researcher named Juliet who is trying to uncover the secret world of demons that live in Bangkok, while looking for an ancient artefact of great power. An ensemble cast of actors from Thailand, Indonesia, The Philippines and Taiwan star. Season 1 was awarded the Best Editing award at the Asian Television Awards in 2016.
Season 1 (8 x 30 minutes) directed by Joko Anwar and starring Arifin Putra and Reza Rahadian. Season 2 (8 x 1 hour) directed by Ekachai Uekrongtham and stars Arifin Putra and Peem Jaiyan.
HBO LATIN AMERICA
La Vida Secreta de las Parejas (A Vida Secreta Dos Casais, Brazil)
A Vida Secreta dos Casais explores the life of sexologist and therapist Sofia Prado, who runs an alternative therapies center where she helps couples work through their difficulties while dealing with her own hidden emotional turmoil. As she helps her patients discover their intimate truths, Sofia’s secrets also begin to come to light when she finds herself caught up in the investigation of a complex web of corruption operated by Edgar Eleno Andreazza, a powerful banker and businessman with a great deal of influence on government officials.
12 x 1 hour. Directed by Carlos Alberto Riccelli and Kim Riccelli and stars Bruna Lombardi.
El Hipnotizador (O Hipnotizador, Brazil)
Based on an Argentinian graphic novel, O Hipnotizador follows the life of Natalio Arenas, a hypnotist who uses his gift to reveal people’s lost memories. Arenas finds it easier to solve his client’s problems than his own. He lives in a hotel, immersed in painful memories and is then subjected to an eternal insomnia in which he hides a deep secret. In order to be cured from this disorder, he and his accomplices will have to face Darek, the hypnotist who cursed him.
Season 1 (8 x 1 hour) directed by Alex Gabassi and José Eduardo Belmonte, Season 2 (8 x 1 hour) directed by Marco Dutra, Aly Muritiba and Pablo Machline, stars Leonardo Sbaraglia.
