The House of Flowers’ Manolo Caro

Mexican creator, producer and director Manolo Caro talks to World Screen about bringing back the de la Mora family in Netflix’s The House of Flowers: The Movie.

After three successful seasons of The House of Flowers on Netflix, Caro turned his saga of the de la Mora siblings into a movie for the platform. The stories, characters and especially the dark humor in The House of Flowers have made it an audience hit on Netflix. Caro also has an exclusive multiyear deal with the streaming platform for the development of TV projects.

***Imagen***TV DRAMA: How did The House of Flowers come about?
CARO: It’s a project that has been so rewarding for us, and it’s very dear to my heart. The characters are so loveable, they’ve found their space in Mexican and Latin pop culture, and when the pandemic started, I just had to use them to find a way to escape from this difficult reality. I wanted to bring entertainment and joy to people. It’s such a feel-good production, and I think it’s important for people to kick back and laugh.

TV DRAMA: The characters are very representative of people in today’s society. What was your inspiration for creating them?
CARO: They are very close to me. I wanted to talk about things like prejudices in society, so they are characters that have a lot to do with me, my friends, family and people around me. They also portray a standard of how we are in society, about our relationships with brothers and sisters, significant others, parents, as well as losing a loved one, which is something we touched on in the second season. I think this is what makes the characters relatable and has made it successful.

TV DRAMA: Has it been more difficult to secure the talent you want to work with given the level of competition globally?
CARO: The House of Flowers attracts that type of talent. We’ve had the privilege of working with Verónica Castro and Cecilia Suárez. There are so many stories to tell nowadays, [and] there are increasingly more platforms and shows that are launching. But there are certain stories that help you have incredible talent. Such is the case with The House of Flowers.

TV DRAMA: The story has traveled around the world. What has been the appeal for audiences beyond Mexico and Latin America?
CARO: Perhaps it has to do with making a very local, Mexican story that takes place in a very specific part of the city, and it also covers a very specific group of high-class people. In the end, however, they are very relatable, funny and hilarious people that I think anyone can identify with. People abroad really enjoy it because they are watching a Mexican project that portrays a conservative society in Mexico, but they know that these types of people exist in other parts of the world.

TV DRAMA: Netflix has given you the opportunity to deal with themes that wouldn’t be so easy to show on broadcast television. How has this freedom been reflected in the subject matter in your projects?
CARO: I’m very grateful for the opportunity Netflix has given me. It’s been a wonderful relationship where I’ve had the freedom to develop the projects I want. After The House of Flowers, we had Someone Has to Die, which is a completely different project, a miniseries for the platform. I also finished a musical that will launch soon. I think you have to take risks. I feel like I’m at a time in my life where I can take risks. My career hasn’t been a long one, but it has been constant. It’s been ten years of many movies, series and theater. I’m at a point where I can enjoy that luxury of freedom, to speak about what I want without censorship and have my own voice.

TV DRAMA: You mentioned the relationship with Netflix. What advice would you give other creators that are looking for an opportunity to work with the platform?
CARO: What I can say is that you should be open and honest about the projects that you want to do. That’s how I made it to Netflix. I arrived with a story for The House of Flowers that talked about my family, friends and topics that move and are dear to me. All of that turned into something huge internationally, and I signed the deal, so I’m very grateful. You have to fight for the things that interest you.

TV DRAMA: How has the pandemic affected you creatively?
CARO: It’s impacted me on a personal level. I have other interests and priorities right now. The pandemic has given me the opportunity to see that life is short and you can’t take it too seriously. I decided to move to Spain, where I feel very comfortable and have been able to have a career. I plan to visit Mexico as much as I can since I love my country. But these decisions are due to everything that’s going on right now. It’s possible to reorganize your career elsewhere. I really want to get back to movies and theater again.

TV DRAMA: What can you tell us about your new production Érase una vez… pero ya no?
CARO: I’m very happy with this project. It’s a retelling of classic fairy tales. It’s a musical that speaks to love and society’s prejudices. It’s a really fun, dark comedy. It stars Sebastián Yatra. If I didn’t have a relationship with Netflix, it would have probably never seen the light of day because it’s a risky, bold production.

TV DRAMA: Dark humor seems to be your trademark.
CARO: Yes. Someone Has to Die, for example, is a historic melodrama because it’s the story of Spain during Francoism’s persecution of homosexuals. It also has some very acidic humor that I like very much.