Political thriller Berko (Chile, Global Screen) follows journalist Boris Berkowitz (Benjamín Vicuña) as he connects the dots between the former Chilean government and a corrupt connection to international drugs and arms dealers. Set in 1990 when Chile became a democracy after two decades of dictatorship under Augusto Pinochet, the excitement of a new era has obscured lingering ties to corrupt forces. Boris, known as Berko, follows a dangerous pursuit of the truth behind illegal weapons sales masquerading as an International Aerospace Fair. When a fellow journalist is found dead, he enlists both the help and companionship of an escort with the stage name Divine Day (Daniela Ramírez) to access the secretive global arms business still very much in operation within Chile. His pursuit becomes more relentless and dangerous for him and his family as the evidence of corruption leads to more powerful players. Berko is loosely based on real events with the suspected links between the Pinochet family and international arms dealers.
Ramona (Videoplugger), our second new series from Chile, is also a period piece and tells the story of two sisters, Ramona and Helga, who move from the countryside to Santiago in pursuit of a better life in the late 1960s. The sisters befriend Carmen, a prostitute and seasoned city-dweller, and all three journey through grassroots politics, love and survival.
Crime drama fans will likely find something to love about MHz Choice’s slate of new series. Debuting in December are five new crime dramas, spanning genres from dark thriller to comedy. Both Inspector LaBrea (Germany, Global Screen) and The Frozen Dead (France, Gaumont) have detectives on the hunt for serial killers while Alter Ego (France, Mediawan) features three detectives – but one is our main character’s imaginary friend! Masantonio (Italy, ITV Studios) centers around Elio Masnantonio’s more internal obsession with getting inside the minds of the missing. His intuition guides him through the mysteries of the past and serves as a way to deflect thinking about his own past. Mismatch (France, Mediawan) features a unique crime drama duo – instead of two detectives there is Vanessa, a rule-breaking cop, and her sister, Justine, who happens to be a judge.
