Kalista Sy, who trained as a journalist, is the screenwriter and producer of the hit Senegalese series "Maîtresse d'un homme marié"
(Mistress of a Married Man). You are the screenwriter of the hit series "Maîtresse d'un homme marié." Can we talk about the success of this series? How do you explain it? What are the strengths of such a program?
Originally, "Maîtresse d'un homme marié" was based on a column I created and shared with a group of women on social media to open up debate on social issues. It was a group where women could express themselves freely on any subject.
Given the success of the column and the debates it sparked, I decided to turn it into a TV series. After meeting with the producer of the Senegalese company Marodi TV, which had just set up in the country, I was entrusted with developing the series with a production team. I was responsible for managing the production of the first season, which consisted of 50 episodes. The series was successful because it allowed the population to identify with the characters; it was a series rooted in reality. Women in particular identified with it because, for once, the narrative belonged to women. The series sparked controversy because people were not necessarily ready to hear these women discuss such topics and talk about their private lives. However, this controversy allowed the series to benefit from high visibility and notoriety beyond the borders of Senegal.
The series began airing on Marodi TV's YouTube channel and then continued on 2STV television. We recorded an average of 1.6 million views for the first season. A+ subsequently bought the French-dubbed version of the series. For the second season, we recorded nearly 2.5 million views across 32 episodes.
Production companies like Marodi TV have successfully embraced digital technology. Today, their YouTube channel has 2.9 million subscribers.
Following this great success, a second season was launched..
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Filming for season 2 of the series proved complicated because we started a few weeks before the health crisis began. We therefore began production in a climate of uncertainty. However, the production team chose to take a bold decision, which ultimately paid off, as they decided to continue with the project, imposing many restrictions but above all complying with health regulations. We managed to complete five months of the project without any cases of COVID-19.
There have been many successful TV series productions in Senegal, which are contributing to the emergence of a local audiovisual industry. What do you think are the reasons for this?
Senegal has always been a country of cinema. We can count on a large number of Senegalese filmmakers. This is because Senegal is a very artistic country. Today, thanks to the growing audiovisual industry, the series we produce in Senegal are becoming increasingly popular and gaining international recognition. I think that today, Senegal has found its balance in terms of audiovisual production. I think that today, we need to be able to pool our resources and draw on the talents of each country on the continent to promote our legitimacy in the creative industries.
What are the main challenges you face today?
The first challenge concerns attitudes. Many people are not ready for what is happening elsewhere. Today in Senegal, we tell love stories without showing love. We are still limited by a framework; we must not offend sensibilities or mentalities.
The second challenge is the lack of training. We do not have technicians with formal training; they are trained on the job. We need training programs for professionals in the field; this is necessary for the proper development of the industry as a whole.
The third difficulty relates to gender issues. This sector remains predominantly male-dominated, with few women visible. They are mainly present in writing, but they are capable of going beyond that, taking on other roles and responsibilities. Will there be a season 3 of your series?
Yes. We are currently working on the third season of the series "Maîtresse d'un homme marié" (Mistress of a Married Man), which should be released in 2021 if all goes well.
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