U.S. HISPANIC
Luis Carlos Ávila, Colombian screenwriter: The strike is based on causes that benefit us all. If there are changes in the US, also will in Latin America
Maribel Ramos-Weiner| 10 de mayo de 2023
Luis Carlos Avila Guionista
The WGA (Writers Association of the United States) strike continues, and although it is said that it may bring new opportunities for the industry in Latin America, the Colombian screenwriter Luis Carlos Ávila believes that it is not that way to bring benefits for their peers in other countries of the world.
“The strike is based on causes that benefit us all. If it moves in the US, it moves in Latin America. As an industry, we continue to be heirs to the American model. It’s quite paradoxical because one could take advantage of such a situation, but if I start thinking about my own individual benefits, perhaps I am solving the problem in the short term. But when you think collectively, you are solving the demands of today and also 10 or 20 years from now,” said Ávila, who has been part of the scriptwriting team for productions such as La Reina del Flow, Paraíso Travel, La Gloria de Lucho, El Barón, Parientes a la Fuerza, among others.
He explains that moments like these where the spotlight is placed on the writers is a way to remind them of their importance: “The industry has sometimes been a bit ungrateful to the scriptwriter, it is no secret to anyone. It is forgotten that the script is the heart of the project. Platforms brought new dynamic ways where screenwriters have to be taken into account. What is going to happen is very interesting because it is going to set a precedent. If no measures are taken, this strike can last as it did in 2007.”
Ávila, who currently works hand in hand with Punta Fina in the development of several projects for digital platforms, pointed out that a pause like the one taking place now in the US could also benefit upcoming content, as happened in the strike 16 years ago.
“I remember the case of Breaking Bad, whose first season was during the strike and only lasted seven episodes. The character Jesse Pinkman (played by Aaron Paul) was supposed to die, but the scene was not recorded. When they went back on the air, they realized that the character liked forcing them to rewrite the whole story which worked better. Something similar happened with The Walking Dead,” he recalled.
He believes that the situation is critical and is still at its beginning, so it is difficult to know where it will go, but he hopes that a middle-ground solution can be sorted out. “I think all of us who work in the industry or who like television need to guarantee favorable conditions for writers and creatives so they can continue to be the foundation of the industry,” he concluded.
