by Thinus Ferreira
After Turkey's culture ministry and Islamist government last year demanded that Netflix remove a gay character from the streaming service's If Only drama series that was set and filmed in Turkey, If Only will be back with the same screenwriter but is now being done from and set in Spain under the new title of If I Had Known, but with the same plot.
Bloomberg Canada on Wednesday reported that If Only will be back on Netflix but retitled If I Had Known ("Si lo Hubiera Sabido") with a gay character part of the now-Spanish cast, exactly as the case was when the series was done from and shown in Turkey.
If I Had Known from the Turkish screenwriter Ece Yörenç will be shown in 190 countries, as well as Turkey and is currently being filmed in Paris in France, as well as Madrid and Seville in Spain.
"We are not telling a Spanish or a Turkish story, but a universal one," says screenwriter Irma Correa, who created the Spanish adaptation. "We have worked to reflect what we see as an open and plural society, in which everyone will feel represented."
If I Had Known tells the story of a 30-year old woman, Emma, who have gotten tired of her decade-long marriage. When a supernatural event sends her back in time, she once again finds herself in the younger version of herself and able to make differnt decisions to change her life.
Irma Correa previously worked with Ece Yorenc on the Spanish adaptation of the popular Turkish drama series Fatmagul.
