Venevision Productions, the Cisneros Media production company based in Miami, today celebrated the ceremonial ‘Take One’ to mark the beginning of production of its new telenovela “Voltea Pa’ Que Te Enamores,” which is a collaboration with Univision Studios.
The event, held at the modern and spacious facilities of Cisneros Media in the city of Miami, brought together executives of Venevision Productions, Cisneros Media, and the Univision Communications networks, accompanied by a cast of multinational talent, including leading actors Pedro Moreno and Maria Elena Davila, along with Cristina Bernal, Frances Ondiviela, Cecilia Gabriel, Harry Geithner, Fernando Carrera, Roberto Matheus, Victor Camara, Lupita Ferrer, Eduardo Serrano, William Valdez, Nastasha Dominguez, Maite Embil, Adrian Di Monti, Mariet Rodriguez, Mijail Mulkay, Ariel Lopez Padilla, Mauricio Mejias, and Alfredo Huereca, among others.
“I am pleased to count on Univision’s valuable collaboration; thanks to our teamwork we have a story and a cast that meets the ever-changing needs of the U.S. Hispanic audience,” said Jonathan Blum, President of Cisneros Media. “We are confident that the telenovela will not only be a success in the United States, but also abroad, in the international markets where it will be distributed by Cisneros Media Distribution.”
Alberto Ciurana, President of Programming and Content for Univision Communications, Inc., added: “We are pleased to once again work with our partners Cisneros Media to ensure we deliver to our audience the best alternative programming in the U.S. We’re also proud to announce an outstanding cast which includes one of our very own, William Valdes.”
Juan Carlos Sosa, Executive Vice President of Operations of Venevision Studios, added that there are “enormous expectations with this new production. It’s a fresh, contemporary story with relevant elements for the Hispanic market, set in the city of Los Angeles, and developed by a production team willing to innovate and establish a new standard within the genre.” He went on to highlight their great work of converting an 11,000 sq. ft. studio to accommodate the nearly 60 sets where the cast will bring this great story to life.
“Voltea Pa’ Que Te Enamores” is an original story by renowned playwright Monica Montañes and adapted by the talented writer Nora Sanchez-Aleman. It’s set in a cosmopolitan city full of life, where hundreds of stories come together every day. One of them is that of Matilda (Maria Elena Davila), a young student determined to become a great architect, wanting to get into a good university; but her economic situation doesn't help her. Matilda works at a Starbucks-type coffee shop on one of the busiest corners in the city, where Rodrigo Karam (Pedro Moreno), a young architect, passes by every day on his way to work. Matilda likes him so much, that she already calls him her ‘boyfriend,’ but he’s always in such a hurry and on his phone that he doesn’t even notice her... but one day, he turns around and sees her, and even smiles, which causes Matilda to melt away in-love. Rodrigo and Matilda begin a platonic relationship, jokingly calling each other ‘boyfriend’ and ‘girlfriend.’ They like each other so much that things start getting serious and before they know it, the two are head over heels in love. The only bad thing is that Rodrigo already has girlfriend, Felicia (Nastasha Dominguez), who doesn’t plan on letting go of him for any reason. But what she doesn’t know is that Matilda is not her only rival; Arantza (Lorena Gomez), her ‘best friend’ and co-worker at Empresas Karam is also after Rodrigo.
Arantza is the daughter of Georgina de la Parra (Maite Embil), a ‘widow’ whose family was practically banished when her husband committed a million-dollar fraud and fled. Due to her shame, Geo informed everyone, including his daughter, that she had become a widow. GEO and Arantza are fortune to live in a house they inherited from their family; however, due to their complicated economic situation, the residence is falling in disrepair. Encouraged by her friends, Geo enters a singles website on the Internet and consequently meets Doroteo (Harry Geithner), who is penniless, but pretends to be an artist and art collector to seduce a ‘society’ woman. Inventing lies that become increasingly more entangled, Doroteo and Geo fall in love to the point of getting married. But unfortunately, on the day of their wedding, the truth comes out: Doroteo is painter alright, but a con-artist at best, and his works are worthless. GEO feels betrayed and refuses to see Doroteo, but her love is stronger than her ambition and she will eventually forgives his deception.
Aide (Cecilia Gabriel) and Romulo Karam (Fernando Carrera) are married and the parents of Rodrigo and his sister Stefi (Emeraude Toubia); they are the business owners of Empresas Karam, dedicated to the construction, renovation and sale of real estate. Their marriage is slowly crumbling due to routine, and for Aide, every day is more tedious and boring. Her parents, Elena (Lupita Ferrer) and Don Jose Salas (Eduardo Serrano), who live with them, believe no one should be in a relationship if they are not completely happy. Meanwhile Pilar (Frances Ondiviela) and Juan Ramon Amezcua (Victor Camara), they neighbors and colleagues at Empresas Karam, are the parents Felicia and Maripili (Gaby Borges). Everyone believes they have a strong marriage, but in reality Pilar is so obsessed with her husband and being the perfect wife and housewife, that she has forgotten to be a mother, friend and companion for her husband and daughters. Her abandonment has an impact on the stability of her marriage, as well as the emotional state of their daughters. Juan Ramon comes to feel so overwhelmed, so suffocated by his wife, he seeks an escape and finds refuge in Michelle (Mariet Rodriguez), the wife of his friend Matthew (Mijail Mulkay). Michelle and Matthew are a younger couple with three children, two of them ‘supposedly’ diagnosed with ‘Attention Deficit’ and ‘Hyperactivity’ and have constant problems at school. Michelle is an architect at Empresas Karam and is frustrated with her marriage. Michelle and Juan Ramon have a relationship that brings excitement to their lives and provides them the happiness they don’t find at home.
These families and the many couples in this multifaceted novela in addition to interacting as neighbors in the same residential complex and being colleagues, they have another common denominator: Brela (Cristina Bernal), Matilda’s older sister and the Karam family housekeeper. What’s more, with Aide’s recommendation, she also begins working with Geo de la Parra and Michelle. Brela becomes everyone’s confidant, entering into the intimacy of these families and learning everything there is to know about them and what happens between them.
“Voltea Pa’ Que Te Enamores” is a telenovela that vividly reflects the everyday experiences of millions of people entangled in the complexity of love... The same happens with most of the story’s characters, who are so submersed in their day-to-day problems and life’s daily responsibilities that do not allow them to see the love and happiness that’s before them. Many things have to happen in order for each of these characters to find their destiny, but something is for certain: each and every one of them will eventually realize that love is much easier to find than they thought... they simply have to clear their hearts and minds and let love in...