Latino writers are limited in presenting more authentic stories

Mexican-American writer and TV producer Natasha Ybarra-Klor indicated that Latino writers have to face the challenge that they must be narrative-neutral in order for the content to travel. “If we are very Mexican, they tell us that this content does not travel,” she said, adding that the best Mexican TV is being written by Venezuelans and Colombians. “On the one hand it is interesting, but on the other, it limits us to making more authentic stories,” says Ybarra, who has specialized in writing soaps for TV.

Ybarra participated in the panel Content Creators for a Global Audience, during the second day of Nalip’s Latino Media Fest.

Ybarra was joined by Stan Zimmerman, director, and writer; Estrella Araiza, general director of the Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG), and Mario Székely, journalist and film and TV critic who hosted the panel.

Most of the stories they send Ybarra are about drug traffickers. “Some science fiction finally came to me recently. It is true to a certain extent that we must write about what we know, but they only allow us to write about what they believe is our area of expertise, and it seems to us that it is a stereotype,” she pointed out. Although she is an American-Mexican raised in the United States, she is considered a Latin American writer.

Araiza regretted that there is little diversity in the director category of the festival. “There is much to do,” she pointed out.

Ybarra added that although it is true that streaming platforms such as Netflix changed the game completely -they opened doors and now shorter shows are made-, but with all the user information being handled now and how to keep them consuming the product, creativity may be affected.