BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) – A group of friends gathers to play cards in a cozy home during a power outage. As their mobile phones die, an eerie snow begins to fall across the city, fatally affecting anyone it touches. Their struggle for survival intensifies, giving way to a chilling realization that humanity itself is in peril.
This sets the stage for “The Eternaut.” Argentina launched its inaugural season on Netflix on April 30th. This Spanish series blends elements of science fiction with a focus on human resilience, quickly climbing to the top as one of Netflix’s most-streamed non-English shows.
Netflix has already confirmed a second season, with filming anticipated to commence next year.
However, “The Eternaut” delves deeper into Argentina’s history. The legendary comic writer Héctor Germán Oesterheld crafted an original graphic novel in 1957, during a time of military dictatorship that impacted his entire family, including all four of his daughters.
Internationally, publishers are racing to meet the surge of interest in the source material. The Seattle-based Fantagraphics has announced plans to reissue an unprinted English translation due to rising demand in the U.S.
In Argentina, the TV adaptation has resurfaced historical wounds. Amid growing anxiety about the nation’s condition, a newfound resonance emerges against the backdrop of far-right president, Javier Milei.
According to Martín Oesterheld, grandson of the creator and a consultant and executive producer for the show, the “The Eternaut” phenomenon has sparked cultural and social events far beyond the series itself. “It fills our hearts. It brings us pride.”
Alien Invasion Returns Home
For years, Oesterheld’s survivors turned down Hollywood offers to adapt cult classics.
To honor his grandfather’s legacy, Martín Oesterheld insisted the show be filmed in Spanish and feature an Argentine cast, emphasizing Buenos Aires.
“What he did transformed the science fiction narrative known in Europe and the United States,” Martín Oesterheld stated, noting how it conveyed Argentine experiences and perspectives.
Netflix aimed to expand beyond the saturated U.S. market to regions like Latin America, making the project a natural fit. Although the streaming giant has not disclosed its budget, the production involved four years of pre-production and post-production, engaging 2,900 individuals, with a $34 million economic impact on Argentina.
The series features alien chaos against the backdrop of unpredictable urban landscapes – vast boulevards, neoclassical architecture, vintage pizza joints, and gritty suburbs – all portrayed in a way that sparks interest among Argentinians who rarely see their culture on screen.
Instead of poker, the main character plays Truco, a beloved Argentine card game. They enjoy a sip from a gourd, a Signature Argentine drink made from yerba leaves. The strange snowfall is lethal—a phenomenon Buenos Aires has only witnessed twice in the last century.
“From the opening scene involving Truco, it couldn’t be more Argentine. ‘The Eternaut’ encapsulates contrasts—life and death, light and dark, familiar and foreign entities,” he added. “It’s not merely a science fiction tale; it’s a modern myth that resonates universally.”
In updating the narrative for contemporary Argentina, the show acknowledges the tragic 1982 war with the UK over Las Malvinas, or the Falkland Islands, and the backstory of its hero, portrayed by celebrated actor Ricardo Darín.
Salvo, a protective and brave father, leads a group of survivors, haunted by the loss of his comrades who were sent by the Argentine dictatorship to seize the South Atlantic islands, resulting in the deaths of 649 Argentine soldiers, many of whom were untrained conscripts.
“The Malvinas conflict remains unresolved; it’s still a painful scar,” Darín shared with The Associated Press. “Bringing this topic back into the conversation resonates with many.”
Argentina’s Underdog
Confronted with catastrophe, the hero relies on his resourcefulness to survive.
As the creator describes, Argentina embodies “Atado Con Alambre” (roughly “holding it together with wire”). This reflects the original character’s resolve in a nation grappling for decades with military rule and economic turmoil.
“It captures the essence of being Argentine—taking what you have and pushing your limits,” Martín Oesterheld remarked. The story mirrors the time of production. Milei’s administration reduced cultural funding, including budget cuts to initiatives like the National Film Institute.
“We’re presenting a distinctly Argentine product to the world because our culture is being revitalized,” Martín Oesterheld noted.
Against this backdrop, the show’s message of solidarity assumes a fresh urgency. Libertarian Ideology has transformed the series’ “motto,” echoing, “No one can do it alone.”
This slogan operates as a raw symbol for protests against the government’s rapid pension cuts this month. In response to police tear gas, some activists have utilized the gas masks from the show to shield themselves against the lethal snowfall.
“Currently, there’s a prevailing sentiment that the state should not care for its citizens. Yet many cases remain unresolved, as though the state has abandoned its citizens entirely.”
Renewed Search
As the Netflix series gains momentum, flyers seeking missing persons associated with Héctor Oesterheld capture attention on Buenos Aires’ “The Eternaut” signage—a real horror story beneath the adventurous narrative.
By the time the junta assumed power in 1976, the 58-year-old Oesterheld was recognized as a committed leftist, with four daughters, all involved in leftist guerrilla movements, making the entire family targets of violent repression in Latin America.
During their abduction, two of Oesterheld’s daughters were pregnant, and to this day, no one knows the fate of their unborn children. An estimated 500 newborns were taken from their parents and handed over to childless military officers, their identities erased.
Three surviving members of the Oesterheld family continue their quest for truth. Elsa, Martín Oesterheld’s grandmother, who raised him after his mother’s murder, has joined forces with other women in search of their missing children. They are known as the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo.
This month, the grandmothers seized the national spotlight with the TV series and issued a public appeal to aid in their search for their missing grandchildren.
The response was overwhelming.
“It was incredible; it went viral,” shared Esteban Herrera, who collaborates with the grandmothers while searching for his own missing brother. “This science fiction series on platforms like Netflix is reaching households that my grandmother hadn’t before.”
Email inquiries and calls have poured in, raising more questions than answers, as viewers across Argentina are reigniting their resolve to seek their own vanished relatives or questioning the legitimacy of their own adoptions.
“The Eternaut serves as a living memory and a classic passed down through generations,” stated Martín Oesterheld. “There’s no greater social commentary than being embraced by so many people.”
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Source: apnews.com